Strong Silence
by Rudiye
Summary: Story of Max and Logan's encounter with an extraordinary girl.
1. Kids

Strong Silence  
  
Disclaimer: All Dark Angel characters are property of Cameron/Eglee productions. The rest are mine.  
  
Location: Jam Pony  
  
"Come on people. What do think this place is? A social club?" Normal waved his clipboard at Original Cindy and Max who were talking near the lockers. "Bip, bip, bip!"  
  
"If that man bips Original Cindy one more time, he's going to be sitting on that clipboard...permanent." OC rolled her eyes at Max. "Where's he gonna send us with ten minutes left?"  
  
"Across town probably." Max smirked then turned to Normal. "Come on, ten minutes. Let us bounce."   
  
Normal studied his papers. "Bounce, bounce. No. No bouncing here. Of course I do have a package that needs to be delivered. " He came closer to Max. "You know, work?"  
  
Resisting the urge to smack him, Max stepped back and sighed. "You have warped priorities. Where to?"  
  
"404 Sycamore. Two blocks. Can you handle it?" He ignored the priorities comment. He knew there was no point in arguing. It was his duty to make them work and it was theirs to do everything not to. What a world.  
  
Max grabbed the package and waved to OC not to worry about it. "I'll take it. Meet you at Crash tonight?"  
  
OC looked at her. "Hangin' with me again? Where's Mr. We'reJustFriendsButCan'tBeApart gonna be?"  
  
Max shrugged. "We are just friends and he's probably sulking as usual. Can't a girl just wanna kick it with her homegirl once in a while?"  
  
OC studied her face. "Aiight but I don't buy all this you be selling Original Cindy."  
  
Smiling, Max hopped on her bike and left Jam Pony. "Yeah well, maybe neither do I." She said to herself as she rounded the corner to Sycamore.  
  
*******  
She had just finished delivering the package (and signing for it)..."bip, bip, bip" she sang to herself. Her leg was already over the seat when she heard the voices coming from a nearby alley. They weren't talking to her but something still disturbed her.  
  
"Come on, let me see him."  
  
"You better not get in our way."  
  
Sighing, she wheeled the bike over to the edge of the alley to take a look. There were three teenage boys talking to a young girl. She was standing in front of a cardboard box, saying nothing, but not moving either.  
  
The tallest of the three, rail thin with black hair, leaned in close to her. "Why don't you just leave before we make you?"  
  
The girl just stared at him, her hazel eyes never moving from his. Again, she didn't move.  
  
One of the others, younger than the first, with greasy blonde hair and a disgusting leather jacket, decided he had had enough. "That's it. You are going to move." With that, He put his hands on the girls arms to pick her up."  
  
Without a word, the girl brought all of her meager weight down with her work boot clad foot onto the boy's sneaker.   
  
Cussing and clutching his foot he grabbed her arm as the other two closed in more.  
  
"You are going to be so sorry you just did that." He said as he raised his hand.   
  
"Hey boys." Greasy turned, hand still in the air to see Max.  
  
She put on her sweetest smile. "Whatcha doin'?"  
  
Trying to match her smile, the tallest stepped towards her. "Just a little talk with ...our sister here."  
  
Max knew a line when she heard it. She also knew that it wasn't worth her abilities to kick their butts. "Really." She looked at the girl. "They your brothers?"  
  
The girl lifted her head to look at Max who was captivated by the gaze. She couldn't be more than 7 or 8 but there was a confidence in those eyes. Without emotion, the girl looked at the boys and back to Max, shook her head once and stepped back.  
  
That was all that Max needed. Stepping between them and the girl she folded her arms. The tallest one was a few inches taller but she knew he would be a problem. "You fellas wanna leave on your own?"  
  
As soon as she saw the smirk cross the last one's face, she knew their answer. In a second, she had grinded her heal into the already damaged foot of the blonde, threw a punch at the "silent" one who had begun closing in and landed a kick in the chest of the tallest. Dazed, confused, and in some pain, they decided not to pursue it any further. Running from the alley, she could hear their mumbled threats...if she wasn't a girl, etc...yeah, right.  
  
*******  
  
Max smiled as they went and turned to look again at the girl. Hoping she wouldn't run away too.   
  
Amazingly enough, she was still there, looking at Max with the same expressionless face.   
  
"See that happen everyday, do you?" Max asked, half to herself, not expecting an answer. Bending her knees she looked at the box the girl had been protecting. Following her, the girl bent down and put her hands in the box. When they emerged, she was holding a small black kitten with white paws. She lifted the cat to Max as if to say, "Look", lowered him again, and started walking to the opening of the alley.  
  
Max watched her and wondered why a young girl would be in an alley by herself. Concerned, she called to her. "Hey, little sis."  
  
She paused and turned looking at Max.   
  
"You live around here?"  
  
She turned and pointed to the building across the street.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
The girl put a finger to her lips like she was telling Max to be quiet but never made a sound.  
  
Max looked at her, still wondering. "Sshhh?" (What's her name? Secret?)  
  
Nodding once, she turned and made her way back across the street. Max watched her as she disappeared into the building. Shaking her head, she wondered if that was normal. Do all children act like that? Just walk away from someone who helped you and tell them to "sshhh"? After all, she wasn't exactly the "normal" child growing up. Who knew what kids thought. Still, it didn't seem right.  
  
Shrugging to herself, she grabbed her bike and headed back to the apartment so she could meat OC at Crash. As she pedaled, she could still see the girls face in her head. "Kids..."  
  
  



	2. Gratitude and the Lack Thereof...

The next day...  
  
"Max...." Max snapped out of her daze to see Sketchy waving his hand in front of her face. She grabbed his arm and glared at him, "What do you want?" Laughing, OC came to his rescue. "Hot flash here was just tryin' to bring you back to the same place as the rest of us. Where you been boo?"  
  
Max really didn't know. "Just spaced I guess. What time is it?"  
  
OC gave her a look but kept quiet. There were some things that you just didn't talk about in front of Sketchy. "Aiight but it's almost five. You'd better get out of here before you get caught on another late run like yesterday."  
  
Knowing OC was right, Max grabbed her stuff from her locker and snuck out the door. That's how it worked. You might be able to put up with an extra run one day but she'd be damned if she would do it again. Normal might get used to it.  
  
When she got to her bike she noticed something hanging from one of the handlebars. There was a small piece of old string. Attached to it was a note. On the front was a childish picture of a cat's face with whiskers and it said "Meow." When she opened it, Max had to laugh. There, in a child's scrawl was one word...Thanks. "Well, well," she thought, "not only does the girl have skills...she's polite too..."   
  
She was smiling and wondering about it when her pager went off. Impatiently, she reached for it and check. Of course, it was Mr. Grump himself. The wheeled wonder who would rather kill himself before letting anyone help him. Sighing, she put the note in her pocket and headed to Logan's...  
  
*******  
As Max got to Logan's door, the lights went out. Adjusting to the lack of light, her eyes focused on the lock as she used her "skills" to get in. She silently closed the door behind her as she heard a muffled curse as a fist hit the desk, "Oh, come on..." She had expected to see him facing his computer but his back was to it...and her.  
  
Between his anger and the brown out, he never saw her come in. Amused, she crossed the room and put her coat on a chair.  
  
"Trouble in paradise?"  
  
Startled, he looked around for her. "Very funny Max. Let's torment those with normal vision who can't see in the dark." She sighed to herself. (So this is how we're going to be tonight...)  
  
He reached around and found a flashlight, turned it on and set it on the desk. "At least I can see now."  
  
Max lost the grin she had been wearing and looked at him. "Sorry. Sometimes us genetically revved peeps get carried away. Want me to get some candles?"  
  
"No thanks. I can do that. I may not be able to walk or see in the dark but I can certainly light some candles." With that, he wheeled out of the room.  
  
Max followed him. Her concern was now developing into irritation. "What is your problem? Did you call me over so you can yell at me? I can go back to work and get that from Normal."  
  
Putting some candles on his lap, he wheeled passed Max into the living room. "No," he said, as he lit the candles and grabbed the flashlight. "I wanted to tell you something."  
  
Her hands went to her hips. "Well?"  
  
"I am thinking of closing Eyes Only."  
  
Max's jaw dropped. She shook her head in disbelief as if she had been hearing things. "You said you are thinking about what?"  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"Why would you do that?"  
  
After a few moments of silence, he rolled himself to the windows. "Maybe I am tired of trying to save the world. Look where it's gotten me..." his voice trailed off. "I can't even save myself."  
  
Max approached his chair and put her hand on his shoulder. She felt him tense under her touch. "Logan, why do you do this to yourself."  
  
He shrugged off her hand and stared out the window. The beam from the flashlight was shining through the window onto the sky. After a second, he turned to Max and shined the light at her. "Well Max, I guess every light has to go out sometime." With that, he shut the light off and sat in the dark.  
  
When the light had gone off, Max had been staring at Logan's eyes. Those eyes that had always been so deep...so passionate. They now looked half dead. It almost sickened her. She knew she had to get out of there.   
  
She brought her face inches from his and stared at him one more time in the dark. "Ok Logan. You want to give up on yourself, go ahead. You want to stop helping people, fine. You can stop living if you want but I'll be damned if I will sit here and watch it. I've paid too much for mine."  
  
With that she turned on her heel and went out the door, not quite as silently as she had come in.  
  
  



	3. Introspection

An hour later...at the Space Needle.  
  
Max sat staring out at the dark city. The brown out seemed fitting. Everything was growing dark around her...Manticore always closing in, Zack mad at her for not leaving Seattle, and Logan...  
  
She thought of him made her close her eyes. They had been so close. They worked together but it was more than that. (Wasn't it?) He was one of the only people that she could really be herself with. Well, at least that had been the case before tonight. Now, he was locked in this depressive state and she couldn't seem to do anything to help. She had always been able to reassure herself that she would see him because of her Eyes Only work. Now, she didn't know. He was shutting that out as well. What reason would she have to go back? There was none now. Going there without a reason was seen as just an act of pity. Didn't he realize that she enjoyed being around him...that it was the few moments with him that gave her the strength to get through the trying times?   
  
It had all changed so quickly. She didn't even know if she wanted to go back. He wouldn't talk to her, wouldn't listen and didn't want anyone around. Being helpless was not one of her favorite things and putting herself in that position willingly was not on her list of things to do. (So he wants to be alone, let him. What good is it being with someone who doesn't want you around?)   
  
Somewhere from deep inside, she got a chill that spread throughout her body. She knew it wasn't from the cold outside. It was from the cold she had seen in Logan's eyes. Thinking about how warm those eyes had been at one time, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She began to rub her arms absent-mindedly as if trying to get rid of the invisible thing that chilled her to the bone. Her eyes snapped open as she realized it...she had left her jacket at Logan's apartment. Closing her eyes with a sigh, she put her head down on her arms. It would have to stay there until tomorrow. There was no way she could bear going back there again tonight.  
  
*******  
  
The same time...at Logan's  
  
The room blended in with the rest of the city as Logan blew out the candle he had lit earlier. He wanted to crawl into the darkness and disappear...get away from the thoughts and feelings that been plaguing him. He knew there was no way that he could run from them. Time after time, he had immersed himself in work, listened to music, thought of Max...nothing seemed to be able to dispel the demons that haunted his mind.  
  
Max thought it was all about the wheelchair. That was just the finishing touch on his useless existence. He had been brought up in a wealthy family. Everything had been given to him. His life had been so easy and yet he had done nothing with it. He went to school - which his family paid for. He wore clothes - which his family paid for. Even now, with his parents gone, he was still living off of the family. Starting Eyes Only had been his way of paying back the world. For every pair of shoes he owned there were a hundred people who had none. For every decent thought, there was a crooked politician or cop who was abusing their power. He thought that through Eyes Only, he could make up for the fact that he had it easy. Maybe he could make life better for someone else to take his mind off of himself. If anything, his plan had backfired. Every time he saw someone who had suffered injustice, poverty, or starvation, he had been reminded of what a hypocrite he was. Sure, it's always easy to help the down-trodden from the penthouse.  
  
Leaning over in his chair, he closed his eyes and held his head in his hands. Could he do it? Could he really close Eyes Only? Stop the searching. Stop the hypocrisy. Stop the worrying about Max...the thought of Max put a lump in his throat. He hadn't planned on telling her the way he did. Actually, he hadn't been sure if he was going to mention it at all. Then, the lights went out, she startled him, and his defenses took over. He had been taken care of for all of his life. Now, along came someone whom he was closer to than any other and guess what...she takes care of people too...imagine that. It wasn't her fault that she had been used to make some freak's dream come true. Now, he had really done it. Even though it was dark, he had felt the look that she was giving him before she left. She was searching him for a sign, any sign, a glimmer of hope. Her silence meant that she had found none. After that performance, he didn't know if he'd ever see her again.  
  



	4. 

  
Max had trouble keeping her mind on work the next day. She had dropped two packages that Normal tossed to her and almost been run over by Sketchy because her mind was somewhere else...again.  
  
"Look boo, I know you don't wanna talk about this but there is definitely something wrong upstairs. Come on and tell Original Cindy what it is."  
  
Max looked at her friends and smiled. "Really, I'm okay. Just a lot on my mind."  
  
"A lot on your mind? Homegirl, you got the whole planet on your mind today. You better start thinkin' straight...girl could get hurt in this city if she's not lookin' where she's goin'."  
  
"I'll be fine...just need some air."  
  
OC stared after her friend, knowing that something was wrong. With Max, it could be anything from boytoy trouble to the black helicopters. Who knew?  
  
Max left Jam Pony and rounded the corner, just missing some trash cans, "Original Cindy's right. I'd better get all this rubbish out of my head before I get somebody hurt." She started walking again, this time more alert. All she needed was to walk straight into Lydecker's hands just because her mind was other places.  
  
She caught a glimpse of a person from out of the corner of her eye. Figuring that OC had followed her, she turned to tell her everything was okay but stopped before her mouth could utter the first word. It wasn't OC. It was the little girl from the other day. Her long, straight, blondish brown hair was tucked behind her ears and fell over a pale blue dress that went down to her knees. Max tried to grasp the situation and not laugh at the same time. Below the dress, she had on a pair of faded jeans and her work boots. (Girl may have skills, but not much fashion sense.) Bending down to be on the same level, Max looked the girl in the eyes. "I got your card, thank you."  
  
Her expression didn't change but her mouth opened to utter one word, "meow."  
  
Max had to smile to herself. Not too many people could actually sound like a cat, but this girl had it perfect. "Yes, I know you are grateful that I saved your kitty. Aren't you going to talk to me?"  
  
Still not saying anything, the girl walked over and stood right beside Max. Reaching up, she put her hand in Max's and gently pulled her across the street. Not quite sure what to do, Max followed. It wasn't every day that she was approached by a girl in a dress and jeans who wouldn't talk. The curiosity was just too much for this cat to resist...  
  
*******  
  
The girl led her to the building that she had disappeared in the day Max had met her. There were steps leading to the front door but instead of climbing them, she walked beside them and stood under the window. She looked at Max and cupped her hand to her ear. Max looked at the girl. (She brought me here to play peeping Tom?) Looking at the brick building, Max knew that there was no way to hear what was going on inside. Well, no way for a normal person too. Now, she was really curious. Was this girl playing her or did she really want her to listen to something?  
  
Leaning her ear nearer to a window, Max concentrated. She could hear two voices inside, those of a man and a woman. The man's sounded vaguely familiar but she wasn't exactly sure. It wasn't Manticore familiar, it just seemed to be someone she had heard before.  
  
"...we have to decide what we are going to do," the woman said.  
  
Max could hear the man sigh. "I thought we already discussed this. Take her to work with you."  
  
"You know I can't do that. A bar is no place for a seven year old."  
  
"What do you suggest? If we don't go to work, we won't be able to pay that cop off and we will get tossed out of here and we can't afford to do that. There aren't a plethora of apartments in this city."  
  
"I know, I know. I just wish there was another way."  
  
The man's voice noticeably softened. "I know. In a perfect world, there would be someone we can trust but right now, we don't know anyone. It's not like the pre-pulse days when you could get a babysitter just about anywhere. I don't know about you but there isn't anyone I've met who I'd be willing to leave my daughter with."  
  
"No, I suppose you are right. If only..."  
  
Max looked at the girl as she heard the woman's voice trail off. "Are those your parents?"  
  
Not surprisingly, she didn't get an answer except for the tug on her hand again. Max wondered if she should resist. She didn't feel threatened by the girl but she did make her wonder at herself. Why was she letting some kid pull her around like a doll? She had fought and killed grown men, soldiers and here she was, following some kid who wouldn't even speak to her. If nothing else, she wanted to meet these parents. Seattle was no longer the kind of place that children should be wandering around alone in. Especially ones who brought home strangers...  
  



	5. 

Max almost held her breath as she was led through a door into what was serving as an apartment. It was similar to Max and OC's apartment. Some abandoned building that someone wanting to make a buck turned into apartments. There were a few pictures around to try to make the place feel like a home but Max could almost feel the fear and uncertainty that was there as well. They hadn't been there long and didn't know how long they would be able to stay.  
  
Walking behind the girl, Max entered a room where a man and woman were sitting at a small round table. Assuming that they were the ones she had heard, and the parents of her little leader, Max braced herself. She didn't know what type of reception she was going to get. It wasn't the type of situation a girl found herself in every day.  
  
When she saw their faces, she realized why the man's voice had sounded familiar.  
  
"Allan?"  
  
*******  
The man seemed surprised to hear his name until he saw who was saying it. He knitted his eye brows as he looked quizzically at her. "Max?"  
  
Judging by the look on her face and the band on her hand, Max assumed that the woman looking back and forth at them was Allan's wife. Following Max's eyes, Allan turned to her. "Max works at Jam Pony with me."  
  
In fact, Allan had only started working there three weeks ago. Max had seen him in passing but had never hung around him. It was rumored that he had punched Sketchy when he overheard him describing the beautiful "attributes" of his wife. Allan probably would have continued beating him if Normal hadn't interrupted...something about Jam Pony not being a boxing ring. Seeing Allan's wife, Max could understand why Sketchy had been enamored with her....not that it took much for Sketchy to be in love with any breathing member of the opposite gender. She was slightly taller and larger than Max but her face had a warmth and delicacy that was rare in these times. Her skin was light and framed by light reddish brown hair.  
  
The woman looked form her daughter to Max, "It's nice to meet you Max. My name is Emily. I see that you have already met our daughter Cassandra."  
  
Max looked at the girl (one mystery solved) and then back to Emily. "Actually, we have not been "formally introduced.'" Extending her hand, she decided to make the introduction official. "Hi Cassandra."  
  
Cassandra looked up at Max with unblinking eyes. Bringing her hands up above her mouth, she drew her fingers out towards her cheeks as if drawing a cat's whiskers. Feeling a little silly, Max did the same motion back to her.   
  
"Meow," was the girl's reply.  
  
"Cassi," Emily said in a rather firm tone, "say hello to Max."  
  
"Hello to Max." Max was dumfounded. She had seen the words come out of Cassandra's mouth but the voice sounded exactly like Emily's. Noticing her expression, Allan chuckled.  
  
"Cassi has some "unique" language skills. She doesn't talk much but that doesn't mean that she can't. She's a bit of a mimic." With that, he went over and picked Cassi up playfully. "But you are our mimic, aren't you?" Cassi snuggled up against his shoulder in answer to his question.  
  
Sitting with her on his lap, he turned again to Max. "So, how do you come to know our little wonder here?"  
  
Max tried not to stare at the father/daughter moment she was witnessing. There were few families intact anymore never-mind as caring as this one seemed to be. She wouldn't even try to compare her "childhood" with this. It was like comparing flowers and frogs. It just wouldn't make sense.  
  
*******  
  
Taring her eyes away from the touching scene, Allan's question registered with her. It was a logical question for a parent to have.   
  
"Actually, we met the other day when she was trying to save a kitten from some boys."  
  
Emily looked at Cassi. "Leo?" Cassi turned and left the room. Emily turned to Max to explain. "I bet the kitten was Leo. He showed up a few days ago. She's probably going to get him now."  
  
As she finished her last sentence, Cassi came back in with Leo and presented him to Max who picked him up. He was so tiny and vulnerable - just like Cassi. "So, has she always been a sucker for a stray?"  
  
Allan chuckled again. "You have no idea. We have had three turtles, six cats, two dogs, and a mouse named squeak. We ever know what she will bring home next..."  
  
Emily completed her husband's thought, "We didn't expect her to bring home any people. She usually limits herself to orphaned animals.  
  
Max smiled at Emily. (If she only knew...) "Seems our girl here is a bit confused lately. (Or is she?) Aren't you concerned about her being in the city by herself?"  
  
Emily looked at Allan who spoke. "Actually, we were just discussing that before you came in. She is usually with one of us at home or we'll bring her to work with us. Em just got a new job as bartender at a bar in town and I have been working on the docks at night on top of Jam Pony. We can't afford to give a job up but a bar is a tough place for a seven year old and my foreman said if I brought her to work again, he would fire me."  
  
Feeling a hand in hers, Max looked down. If Cassi hadn't had such an expressionless face, she would have sworn that she was being given puppy dog eyes. Max looked back up at Allan. "I think we may have found out why I was A number One on the human stray list. Girlfriend here thinks I'm a babysitter."  
  
Emily looked from Cassi to Max, digesting what Max said. She walked over and bent down in front of Cassi. "I know you like Max but she has a job during the day. She needs to sleep at night." Looking at Max, she explained, "Cassi sleeps very little at night. A few hours seems to take care of it. Its rather difficult to find trustworthy people who don't sleep at night.  
  
In shock, Max looked at Allan and Emily. "Actually, I don't sleep all that much myself." She swallowed hard before her next sentence. "So, you really need a babysitter, huh?"  
  



	6. 

A little while later...  
  
Logan stared at the phone he had just hung up. He was still trying to digest the phone conversation he had just been a part of.  
  
**  
A few minutes earlier...  
  
"Hello, Logan?"  
"Max." (Why was he so glad to hear from her?)  
"I just wanted to let you know that I think I left my jacket there." He looked around.   
"Yeah, it's here." (Why hadn't he noticed it before?)  
"Ok. Well, I'm going to come by and get it if that is okay with you."  
"Um...yeah, sure." (Why was she calling him for this? Had he messed things up that badly?)  
  
She sounded almost nervous. (Nervous, Max?) "Great. Well, I'll be there but um, Logan? I need to warn you, I won't be alone..."  
  
**  
Back to the present...  
  
Logan rubbed his eyes. He had felt his jaw clench and his whole body stiffen when she had said that. All he wanted to do was get off the phone. He didn't even let her explain...he had mumbled something about not really being any of his business who she went places with...and hung up. Now, he was wondering...  
  
Who was it? He had no doubt that it was a guy. There had been a time that he and Max had been close but he knew that his recent mood swings had killed any hopes that he had of ever being anything but a friend to Max but it was okay. He could still feel the dull aching in the pit of his stomach. If it was okay, why did he feel this way? Now, he had made a complete fool of himself and she was on her way over with some "mystery guy." Best to get it over with and move on. Somehow, he just knew that Max wouldn't let it be that simple...  
  
*******  
  
Max stood outside of Logan's door with Cassi...a tempest of emotions raging inside of her. She had called Logan because she was concerned. With his recent moods, she never knew how he was going to be when she arrived. Since she was babysitting Cassi (she still wasn't sure how that came about), she felt that she should protect her. That meant against everything...even emotionally dark friends. She had thought that letting him know about Cassi might at least make him fake a good mood for a few minutes.   
  
The phone call had changed everything. Instead of consideration for Logan, she was seething. He hadn't even let her explain, mumbled something like shecoulddowhatevershewanted, and hung up. She didn't quite know why he had done that (did she?) but she had decided that there was no way she was going to stand for it. The only reason she was there was to get her jacket (wasn't it?) and she was going to do what she had come there for. Plus, maybe a good tongue lashing before she left. He deserved it.  
  
Max looked down at Cassi, "You stay here for a minute. I will be right back and we will go do something together." Cassi just looked at her but didn't move. Max took it as a good sign. She had decided that Cassi didn't need to hear what she was going to say to Logan and she didn't want to be in there for any longer than necessary.   
  
On her first knock (she had decided it was best not to show Cassi some of her "skills"), the door swung open. (I guess he couldn't be bothered with coming to the door...)  
  
Taking a deep breath, she stormed into the living room where she found him. "What the hell was that all about?" She planted her feet a foot from his wheelchair and stood staring at him.  
  
He just looked at her. "Nothing, what you do is your business. I just wanted to get off the phone."  
  
His answer didn't make her any happier. "What do you mean 'what I do'? What is it that you think I am doing?"  
  
Logan sighed wearily, trying not to look into her eyes. "I don't think anything about what you are doing or who you are doing it with. It's your business. We are both adults..."  
  
Max had to hold herself back from pouncing on him right there and giving him a good beating. (So that was it! Mr. Foul Mood was jealous!) If she hadn't have been so upset, she just might have been flattered.  
  
"For your information..." She began.  
"I told you Max, I don't need to know." He straightened up and looked at her. "I don't want to know either."  
  
Max put her hands on either side of the chair and held it in place. "You are going to listen to me. The reason I..." The sound of the door stopped her in mid-sentence.   
  
"Is she with someone?" a voice asked? It was Bling. He had entered the apartment, hand in hand with Cassi.  
  
Max looked at Logan. "Yes," she hissed. "She's with me."  
  
  



	7. 

  
Bling looked from Logan to Max and then to Cassi. "Um...ok...so who is she?"  
  
Max straightened up and composed herself. "Her name is Cassi and I am babysitting her."  
  
Both men did a double take. Bling looked visibly shaken. "Did you say Cassi?"   
  
"Yes," Max said, "short for Cassandra."  
  
His eyes closed for a minute and Bling looked at her, "Yes, I'm familiar with the name."  
  
She was wondering what he meant by that when she heard Logan's voice, "Babysitting?"  
  
"Yes, Mr. Whateveryoudoisnoneofmybusiness. I am babysitting. Do you have a problem with that?"  
  
Logan was about to reply when Bling interrupted again. "How about I take Miss Cassi here to the kitchen for some juice while you two "talk"?"  
  
Max looked at Logan, "Fine."  
  
"Fine." He responded.   
  
Bling looked at Cassi. "Well, I guess it's fine. Let's go get you some juice."  
  
******************  
  
After Bling and Cassi left the room, Logan turned to Max, "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."  
  
"Forget about it."  
  
"Really Max, I had no right..."  
  
"You're right. You had no right. Forget about it."  
  
"Cute kid. Who is she?"  
  
Max began to relax for the first time since she had been there and began to tell him how she first met Cassi, her silence, and how she got roped into babysitting.  
  
Logan was laughing to himself but Max still noticed. "What's so funny?"  
  
"Well," he said, trying to compose himself (it wasn't working very well.) It just seems funny to me that a person who is trained to do undercover work, covert operations, and assassinations can't defend herself from a seven year old girl."  
  
Max had to admit that it was rather funny. She went to her jacket and pulled Cassi's thank you note out of the pocket. "Look at this. I don't know what it is. There's just something about this girl that gets to me."  
  
Logan raise an eyebrow, "Maternal instincts?"  
  
"Hardly. What's the dealio with Bling? I thought he was going to burst into tears when I was talking about Cassi. Any clue?"  
  
"None. Bling doesn't take too kindly to people nosing around about his personal life."  
  
Max put on a charming smile. "Now Logan, would I pry into someone's life?"  
  
"No, you just pick the lock and not everyone should be picked."  
  
"True, but this is one that this cat can't refuse."  
  
"Suit yourself but consider yourself warned..."  
  
******************  
  
When Max and Logan came into the kitchen, Cassi was sitting on a stool with Bling standing beside her. She was running her hand over his smooth head.  
  
"Girlfriend thinkin' of a new style?" Max asked.  
  
Bling looked up and smiled. "I'm not sure but she seems to be fascinated with it. Does she ever talk?"  
  
"Once in a while. When she feels like it." Max took her hands and made the "cat whiskers" motion. On cue, she heard Cassi, "meow."  
  
Bling and Logan were amazed for the second time...it was so amazing. The voice that came out of this girl.   
  
Bling looked at Max, "how did she do that?"  
  
"It's a long story." She looked at Logan. How about you and Cassi go get acquainted and I'll give Bling the lowdown."  
  
Logan looked at Cassi. "How about it Cassi, want to go for a ride?"  
  
Without any hesitation, she hopped off the stool, walked over to the chair, and climbed onto his lap. As the wheeled out of the room, she could see Cassi moving her hands in front of Logan's face. When he got near the couch, Logan stopped and was doing it right back to her. It was quite a picture.  
  
She turned to Bling, "So, how is..."  
  
Logan's voice interrupted her questioning. "Um....Max....I think you should come here."  
  
Irritated that she wouldn't get to ask Bling her questions, she turned and went in the room. "What is it, I was about to ask..."  
  
Logan put a hand up to stop her. "I think you should see this."  
  
He looked at Cassi, cupped both of his hands and starting from the center, drew them out like a box around his eyes.  
  
A small voice said, "see you."  
  
Logan repeated it, "see you."  
  
Max saw Cassi's lips moving and heard the sound but couldn't believe it. "Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a streaming freedom bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly 60 seconds. It cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in the city." It was Logan's voice but it was Eyes Only's message....  
  



	8. 

  
Bling was standing at the door. "How did she do that?"  
  
"Never mind how she did that," Logan looked at Max. "How did she know that?"  
  
Max was still in shock. "Allan said that she is a bit of a mimic but you didn't tell her anything about Eyes Only, did you?"  
  
Logan shook his head. His face paled in realization and he looked at Max. "Max, where is that card?"  
  
Max picked it up and brought it over to him.   
  
He looked at it and then at Cassi. Pointing at Max he asked, "Cassi, who is that?"  
  
Cassi made the whiskers motion across her face. Logan nodded and Max did the same.  
  
"Meow."  
  
Max finally realized it. "She..."  
  
Logan nodded. She's not talking about a cat she rescued Max....she's calling you...she knows...  
  
Max stared at Logan in disbelief. "You mean..."  
  
Logan nodded his head.  
  
Max went over to Logan's chair where Cassi was still perched on his lap. She looked at Cassi and made the whiskers.   
  
"Meow."  
  
"Meow." Max answered. She knew that she should be afraid of the possible damage (Liability, Lydecker's voice rang in her head.) but she was in awe of this little girl. She hadn't even known her for a week but she felt that she had a connection with her.   
  
Taking Cassi's hand, Max led her to the couch and sat down beside her. "Come sit with Meow." She ignored what she believe to be a smirk creeping across Logan's face. "It seems that you like secrets." With a twinkle in her eye, she pointed at Bling and looked at Cassi. "Who's that?"  
  
Cassi's hand slid lightly over her head as if she too had no hair. Understanding the process, Max repeated the motion. It was an echo of Bling's voice that she heard but in it was a sadness that neither Logan or Max had ever heard. "Don't go." Max watched as Bling swallowed hard and looked at them both.   
  
"If you don't mind, I'd rather not..." He was interrupted by Cassi's movement. She went over to Bling who towered over her. Reaching up, she grabbed his hand and brought him to the couch. Following her lead, he sat down right before she climbed up and nestled herself in the crook of his arm. Max and Logan watched in amazement as the girl got comfortable and took Bling's hand in her own. She gently patted his hand and started mumbling something. Logan strained to hear but Max picked it up right away. "It's ok. Cassi's here. It's ok. Cassi's here." As she said the words over and over, they watched as silent tears began to fall down Bling's cheeks. Without any explanation to them, he sat with his arm around the little girl and cried.  
  
After a few minutes of silence, Bling looked up at Max and Logan. "How did she know?"  
  
Logan looked at Max. "I don't know how she knows these things, do you?"  
  
"No," Max said, turning to look at Bling. "I'm not even sure what she knows about all of us."  
  
"I suppose I do owe you an explanation." Bling said. "I knew another Cassi once. She was my younger sister. We were very close until she died of leukemia at the age of twelve. Both of my parents are gone and I don't have any other family. I've never told anyone about her. "Don't go" were my last words to her before she died and they have been with me ever since."  
  
Logan looked at Bling. They had worked together and even become friends and yet he had no idea of the inner turmoil that Bling had. "I'm sorry Bling, I had no idea."  
  
Bling shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I didn't want you to. Somehow it was easier to keep it to myself and brood about it than to deal with it." Max looked at Logan when Bling mentioned the brooding but she decided it was not the time to remind Logan of his recent episodes. Bling continued, "That's why I reacted like I did when you introduced Cassi. It is not a popular name and I had pushed it out of my mind but this little girl seems to be able to get in there. Any ideas?"  
  
The three of them just looked at each other.   
  



	9. 

The next day...at Jam Pony  
  
The day seemed to be flying by for Max. She couldn't believe how much she was looking forward to seeing Cassi again. The previous night had been very strange but it had left her with a deep desire to learn more about the girl. It had been the mutual decision of her, Logan and Bling that they should not rush at Allan and Emily for information. They all knew from personal experience how protective people could be about secrets, especially when it came to family. When Max dropped Cassi off in the morning, she had offered to baby sit again. Also, she had invited the two of them to breakfast with her at a friend's house (Logan) after work. She had explained to them that she would feel more comfortable watching Cassi there because it was a more secure area. It was true that Max felt more comfortable with Cassi at Logan's apartment but it had nothing to do with the area. She was perfectly capable of protecting Cassi just about anywhere. Protecting was one thing, spending time with a child was another. It would be a comfort to know that there were other people around. As unique as Cassi was, there was still a part of Max that was afraid she would break her.  
  
When she had invited them to breakfast, Allan and Emily had looked at her with curiosity but had kept their questions to themselves and graciously accepted the invitation. It was arranged that she would pick Cassi up after work, stop by her apartment to change, and head to Logan's where Allan and Emily would meet them after work.  
  
Max smiled as she thought about it. Logan had come up with the plan himself. He wanted to find out about Cassi as much as Max did and he really wanted to meet her parents. So, she was headed for a night at Logan's. Who would have thought that after last weeks events she would be going back...and at his invitation. She didn't know where Cassi came from (it wasn't Manticore...she had nonchalantly pushed her hair to the side to check...) but she was glad that this girl had become a part of her life.  
  
******************  
  
A little while later...  
  
Max paused outside the door of her "apartment." She could hear Original Cindy singing inside the door. (That girl and her love for pre-pulse music...) She looked down at Cassi, "Can't wait til ya meet her."  
  
Inside, Max made the introductions (as much as could be done with a person who wouldn't speak.) Leaving Cassi with Original Cindy for a minute (and promising it would indeed be a short minute), Max went to her room to change her clothes.  
  
A few minutes later, she emerged, "See, I promised..." her words trailed off as she stood gaping at the sight in front of her. Her eyes were still wide as a small smile crept across her face.  
  
~~One, two, three, four, five, everybody in the car come along and ride...~~  
  
Cassi was dancing with Original Cindy. Max couldn't believe it...the girl wouldn't talk but she danced? (She was good too...) She wasn't just dancing, she was singing too.  
  
Original Cindy looked at Cassi and sang, ~"A little bit of Monica..."~  
  
Cassi looked back at her and mimicked the song, ~"...in my life.~  
  
~"A little bit of Erica..."~  
  
~...by my side."~  
  
~"A little Rita..."~  
  
~"...is all I need."~  
  
Max crept a little closer hoping not to disturb the duo. It was too good not to watch.  
  
~Jump up and down and move it all around...~  
  
Original Cindy jumped up and then wiggled her hips. A second later, Cassi did the same thing.  
  
~Shake your head to the sound, put your hands on the ground...~  
  
Original Cindy swung her head to the music, left than right and bent her knees to touch the floor with her hands. Again, Cassi did the same thing.  
  
Max just watched as they continued through the song...  
  
~take one step left, and one step right...~  
  
They looked like they were having so much fun.  
  
~one to the front, and one to the side...~  
  
She sighed, one more piece to a normal childhood...playing, dancing, goofing off...she had missed it all. Fortunately for her, she had friends like Original Cindy who had a way of making up for lost time.  
  
****************  
  
Original Cindy collapsed on a chair laughing as the song ended. Max came in clapping, "You two have quite an act."  
  
Original Cindy looked at Cassi who sat in her usual still and silent pose. "Sugah here has got quite the chords and moves."  
  
Max had to ask, "How did you get her to dance with you?"  
  
Original Cindy shook her head, "Still not sure. Original Cindy was singing with her tunes and noticed there was an echo so she turned around to see the little sugah dancing. Thought we'd try a little Mambo Number Five with her. She's a natural."  
  
Max thought back to what she had seen. Cassi was a natural...or was she? Then it struck her. She thought about each move that Cassi had made...it was the same as Original Cindy's. Not only did she copy voices, she copied actions as well. It wasn't just the fact that she copied these things. It was the accuracy with which she did it...it was rather spooky.  
  
Keeping her thoughts to herself, she turned to Original Cindy, "I'd be careful how much you say and do around little sister here. She's a bit of a mimic."  
  
Original Cindy looked questioningly back at Max. "Little Sugah don't have no black helicopters after her too, does she?"  
  
"Not that I know of. If there are, they aren't the same ones."  
  
Original Cindy nodded knowingly. She knew not to press the issue further until they were alone. Little ears could sometimes have big mouths...  
  
Max looked at Cassi, "Ready to go see Logan?"  
  
Cassi cocked her head to the side as if asking Max a question. Max didn't understand the question at first, "What? Oh." She made the box around her eyes. Cassi said, "See you" and jumped to her feet.  
  
"See..." Original Cindy started to reply, thinking that the girl was saying good-bye. Max interrupted just in time. "She loves Logan. They play a lot of games together. Well, gotta blaze."  
  
Outside the door, Max breathed a sigh of relief. If Original Cindy had said "See You", Cassi would have blurted out the whole Eye's Only thing and she would have a lot of explaining to do. She didn't think that Original Cindy had made the connection between Logan and Eye's Only and she didn't want to give it away...both for Logan and Original Cindy's safety.  
  
Besides, how could she have explained Cassi's abilities to Original Cindy? She didn't even understand them herself. Maybe breakfast would shine some light on things. In the meantime, she would have to watch what she said and did.  
  



	10. 

Logan sat staring at the door. Why was he so impatient for them to arrive? He had hardly slept the night before. Thoughts of Cassi filled his mind. Who was she? Where did her abilities come from? How did she know their secrets? Would she tell anyone else? He had kept replaying the night over and over again in his head.  
  
He had been so upset before they arrived. (Jealous? Where did that word come from?) So maybe he had been jealous. The thought of someone else close to Max actually hurt. Why had he jumped to that conclusion so quickly? Why?...Maybe because he had been wallowing in a pool of self-pity for weeks...Maybe he thought he had finally pushed her too far...Maybe his love for her had grown past friendship and he was just noticing...Maybe all of the above...  
  
He didn't know when it was that he closed his eyes. The next thing he was aware of was the feeling of two hands covering them. "Guess who?" the familiar voice sang.  
  
Logan smiled. He was so glad that Cassi had come the night before...it had changed everything.  
  
"Don't you ever knock?"  
  
Her hands were still over his eyes.  
  
"Nah. I like to keep you on your toes."  
  
Logan felt her hands tense and begin to draw back as she realized what she had said. He decided that he wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He reached up to his face and held her hands there. "Do you really think you are up to that job?"  
  
Her hands remained in place and seemed to relax as she replied, "Yeah well, I have a certain someone to help me."  
  
"Oh yeah, like who?"  
  
Max dropped her hands and Logan tried not to laugh at the sight in front of him. Cassi stood there. She had Max's sunglasses on her face and Max's leather jacket was hanging from her small shoulder down to her knees with the arms reaching inches over her hands.  
  
Logan didn't see what Max was doing behind him but he saw the result. Cassi tipped the glasses down to look over the rim. Eyes focused on Logan, she simply said, "See you."  
  
****************  
  
Logan knew better than to repeat what she said. He remembered quite well what would happen. Instead, he wheeled over. "Ok Little Max. How about a ride to the kitchen to make you dinner?" On cue, she hopped on his lap. When she had positioned herself just right, Logan wheeled around and looked at Max.  
  
"Sorry, we don't have any more room. The Cale Express is full. Race you to the kitchen?"  
  
An evil grin spread over her face, "You don't stand a chance."  
  
"Try me."  
  
They held each other's focus and then broke suddenly. Logan turned the chair to block Max's path but she gave him a smirk and jumped over him. Instead of running to the kitchen, she ducked around the chair and grabbed the handles.  
  
Leaning close to Logan's ear, she whispered, "Now, what is the great Cale Express going to do?"  
  
Logan looked at Cassi and tightened his hold on her, "I think we had better hold on."  
  
In a flash, they were careening into the kitchen. Coming to a stop, Max let go. "Okay, I've done my part. Care to play Chef Cale?"  
  
"Sure." As he answered, Max grabbed Cassi's hand and began to leader her out of the room as Logan watched. "Hey, where are you two going? Just leaving me here to slave over your gourmet meal?"  
  
Max reached in the pocket of the jacket that Cassi was still wearing and produced a compact disc. " Took part of Original Cindy's pre-pulse collection. Little sister here likes music. Besides, we would just be in your way." With that, they left Logan alone gazing after then in wonderment. Snapping himself out of it, he wheeled to the refrigerator. "Ok Cale...now for dinner..."  
  
****************  
  
Logan had finished making a pizza, put it in the oven, and cleaned up the dishes. He shook his head at his own lack of culinary creativity but he was at a loss for what to make for a seven year old. Pasta Tricilore just didn't seem appropriate.  
  
His curiosity finally got the better of him. He had heard various songs while preparing the pizza but had managed to stay in the kitchen without straying. Now, he had to look and see what they were up to. He wheeled around the corner to get a glimpse of his "girls."  
  
~Just like the ocean, under the moon...~  
  
There they were. Hand in hand, Max and Cassi were dancing around the room.  
  
~...Well, that's the same emotion that I get from you...~  
  
Logan wheeled further into the room. He noticed Max was singing and Cassi was too.   
  
~...You got the kind of lovin' that can be so smooth...~  
  
Max noticed Logan there for the first time as her mouth faltered on the words to the song. As they looked at each other, they heard Cassi finish it for them.  
  
~...Gimme your heart, make it real or else forget about it...~  
  
Blushing, Max looked away as Logan turned to check on the pizza.  
  



	11. 

After they had eaten, Max took Cassi to the guest room where she tucked her into bed. Emily had told Max to make sure that Cassi at least laid down for an hour or two. Closing the door part way, Max found herself tip-toeing into the other room. She saw Logan staring out the window.  
  
"Don't feel like you have to stay up on my account. You look tired."  
  
He knew he couldn't sleep now...not with her here. He didn't want to miss even a moment. "No. I'm fine. So, how does it feel to be a babysitter?"  
  
Max slumped into a chair. "It's great. Well, Cassi is great. She's more than great. She's amazing."  
  
"Yeah, I noticed." Logan added. "How does she know the words to those songs?"  
  
Max smiled. It was a logically question. After all, most of them had been written many years before Cassi had been born. "Actually, I don't think she does know them. From what I can see, it has something to do with her abilities. If you pay attention while she is singing, you will notice that she only sings a part that has been in the song previously. She has one heck of a memory."  
  
Logan thought about that. It certainly made sense. The silence between them grew.  
  
"How..."  
"I..."  
  
They both stopped. Logan continued, "I wanted to talk to you about the other night."  
  
"Logan, really, it's not necessary."  
  
Logan wheeled over and put his hand on hers. "Yes it is." He said firmly. "I acted like a spoiled brat. Maybe being in this wheelchair is not the easiest thing but I'm not the only one who has it tough. Actually, I have it easy compared to some..." He looked at her so that she would know he was talking about her. He really was in awe that she had come through everything in her life and was still alive to talk about it. "Anyway, you didn't deserve that kind of treatment. I'm sorry."  
  
His eyes searched hers for hope. Staring back at him, her dark eyes glistened with moisture as she looked away. "Does this mean you aren't closing Eyes Only?"  
  
Logan looked down at her hand which he was still holding. "I'm not sure but I don't think so. There are still people who need my help but I don't want to do that at the expense of everything else I hold dear. I don't want to lose..."  
  
"Lose...?" Max questioned.  
  
A slight movement caught Max's attention. They both turned to look at the figure in the doorway. It was Cassi.  
  
****************  
  
Max went over and put her arm around Cassi's shoulders. It was hard to tell if there was something wrong or if she just got out of bed because that was what she wanted to do. "What's the matter? Did you have a bad dream?"  
  
Cassi shook her head, "Mira."  
  
Max looked at Logan. (Did she just speak in her own voice?)  
  
Logan looked back at Max, the same question on his mind. "What did she say?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Max replied. She turned to Cassi, "What did you say?" No answer. Max's mind flew over what she had said to trigger a response. It hit her. "Dreams?"  
  
"Mira." Cassi responded.  
  
It sounded like mirror to Max so she decided to give it a try. Picking Cassi up, she walked over to a mirror. "Mira?"  
  
Cassi stared at the mirror. She began to rock back and forth in Max's arms and began to speak in a sing-song voice that Max hadn't heard before. She listened carefully to make out the words she was saying. "Sleep...Cassi...sleep...Cassi...sleep...Cassi...go to sleep..."  
  
As she sang and rocked, she nestles herself in Max's arms and closed her eyes. Max and Logan just looked at each other. They hoped that breakfast would bring them closer to the truth.  
  



	12. 

The next morning...  
  
Cassi ran to the door when she heard the voice of her parents. She grabbed one of each of their hands and they all followed Max into the kitchen where Logan was setting breakfast on the table. Bling had wanted to be there too but Max and Logan felt it would be better to let them get accustomed to one new face at a time.  
  
Everyone introduced themselves and then Max, Allan and Eve each took a stool at the island. Allan scooped Cassi up and sat her on his lap.  
  
"So, has our girl been good?"  
  
"Of course." Max said, flashing them a smile and handing them each a cup of coffee. "But she did wake up suddenly last night. We were a little concerned."  
  
Emily and Allan exchanged glances as they paused in their obvious enjoyment of their coffee. Emily resumed her sipping and looked at Max, "Did she say anything to you?"  
  
"Yes," Max replied, "I think she wanted to look in a mirror. I showed her one and she sang herself to sleep."  
  
Allan looked at Emily with a confused look but Emily just thought for a minute and then chuckled. "I never thought of doing that," she said, half to herself. Then she noticed Max's confusion and spoke up, "I take it that she said 'Mira'?"  
  
"Yes," Max said, "I asked her if she had a bad dream, she shook her head and said Mira."  
  
"It was the part about the dreams. I had a daughter from my first marriage who was really close to Cassi. Her name was Miranda. We all called her Randa but Cassi has called her Mira from the time she could speak. Randa dreamed a lot so Cassi associates any talk about dreams with her. Was she singing ~Sleep Cassi~?  
  
Max nodded.  
  
"That's one of the things Mira sang to Cassi to get her to sleep. She was always the best at getting her to sleep. She had a very melodious voice."  
  
Logan looked at Emily, "Did something happen to her? I notice that you speak of her in the past tense."  
  
Allan held Emily's hand as he finished for her. "No, Randa was twelve years older than Cassi. She went to work at a hospital in another part of the state. She was doing really well but the hospital was destroyed a year ago by a radical group."  
  
Logan and Max sat speechless. Logan broke the silence first, "Did you ever find out who was responsible for the attack?"  
  
Allan shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. Emily had a restaurant that was destroyed shortly after that. We have traveled quite a bit over the past year and have lost contact with any connections we had that might be able to find any information. Either way, it won't bring Randa back."  
  
There was a flicker in Logan's eyes but max couldn't be sure exactly what it meant. She decided to keep quiet and let him speak.  
  
"Allan, what is your last name?"  
  
"Graves."  
  
"So, you wouldn't know of a DC10, informant for Eyes Only."  
  
Allan looked quickly at Emily. She sat calmly looking at Logan who smiled back at her. "Go ahead and tell him if I'm safe or not."  
  
Turning to Allan, she said, "Yes, it's okay." Then she quickly turned to Logan, "How did you know to say that?"  
  
"Well," Logan began, "I was once asked by some colleagues to trace information on one Nina Semoneva."  
  
All eyes were on Logan. Max was trying to understand what was going on. Allan and Emily seemed astonished. They had the same though in mind.  
  
"Then that..."  
"...would make you..."  
  
"Eyes Only." Logan finished for them. "It's nice to finally meet you. I thought you were both dead." Seeing the confusion on Max's face he said, "Max Guevara, please meet Dr. Gregory Cosgrove and his wife, Amaliya.  
  



	13. 

Max was so confused that she looked back and forth from Logan to Allan and Emily (whatever their names were...) and back again. "Ok, that explains everything..."  
  
Logan laughed and turned to the other two. "Let me explain..."  
  
Taking a sip of his coffee, he plunged in. "Greg probably doesn't remember this but I once took a class of his at the University.  
  
Greg laughed, "No, I didn't know that."  
  
Logan smiled. "Probably better that you didn't. Even in the Pre-Pulse days, Latin 101 was not exactly a priority. You see, Dr. Cosgrove here is a bit of a language expert. I many not have done well in the class but I did appreciate his gift. How many languages are you up to now, Greg...last count it was 9."  
  
"I believe it's 11...been a little slow."  
  
"When Eye's Only began, I contacted him, anonymously of course, to help me. Him and his wife were two of my best informants and research sources. Suddenly, I lost contact with them and then I heard that their restaurant had been bombed and I could find no record of them anywhere. I thought they were dead." He turned to Greg. "It was Rodriquez, wasn't it?"  
  
Greg nodded. "I believe so. We had been getting more and more information on him and he found out somehow. One afternoon, we were both at the restaurant when a strange man came in. Amaliya took one look at him and knew we were in danger. So, we ran out the back and tried our best to disappear. If it hadn't been for her, we would have been in there."  
  
"I'm sorry that I put your family in danger." Logan said to Allan.  
  
"We knew what we were getting into when we joined the informant-net. It was of our own free will. It was a cause that we believed in...a cause we still believe in.'  
  
Max decided to interrupt. She looked at Amaliya, "How did you know the man was dangerous?"  
  
Amaliya looked at Logan, "What do you think?"  
  
"She will understand."  
  
Amaliya nodded. "That's what I thought." She turned to Max, "Like my daughter, I have some "different" abilities. Ever since I was a little girl, I've had this sense about people. If I was in the room with someone, I would begin to get feeling about them."  
  
Max shifted nervously. Amaliya noticed and put her hand on Max's arm. "Don't worry. I just get a general sense. I don't read minds." She looked at Max knowingly. "You are not dangerous, at least not to us..."  
  
Max settled back in her chair. What Amaliya said was true...so far. "So, how do you know these things?"  
  
Logan let Amaliya drink her coffee. "That's where I came in. Amaliya didn't know much about her family history so they asked me to look into it for I found a few things...  
  
"Like most "civilized" countries, Russia decided to experiment with different human studies. Their specialty was those on twins. They had a program called Bliznetzy Yableniye or the Phenomenon Twins in which they would recruit twins from highly intellectual families with promises of security, money, and family recognition. Lee and Nina Semoneva were enrolled in this program. Unfortunately, the studies were not as benign as they were presented. (Were they ever? Max thought.) It looked great to the parents...the children were well taken care of and all of their needs and the needs of the family were provided.  
  
"What the parents didn't know was that the "doctors" were using different drugs and electronic stimuli in attempts to stimulate the frontal lobe in the hope of increasing intelligence and creating telepathic abilities."  
  
"That's how Lee died," Amaliya said softly. "Nina never told me about any of this. She never spoke of her childhood much but she did mention Lee from time to time. He was her hero...her superman..." She trailed off and let Logan continue.  
  
"It must have been too much for him. He had an aneurism and died. When that happened, the parents were outraged. They realized what the true intentions were of the program. The facility was mysteriously destroyed and non one knows what happened to the children."  
  
"I know," Amaliya said, "because Nina was my mother."  
  
****************  
"I'm sorry. I know how terrible things like that can be people." Max said. She could almost picture the innocent children being led in to see the "doctors" who were supposed to be helping society.  
  
Amaliya studied her face. "You do understand, don't you?"  
  
"Yes I do." Max said. "So you're mother had abilities and passed them onto you?" She didn't want to discuss her past right now.  
  
"No," Amaliya shook her head. "Apparently, whatever they were doing did not work as they had hoped. They kept increasing the dosage hoping it work out but it didn't appear to have any effect. I assume that's what cause Lee's aneurism and death." She paused for a minute and then continued. "It seems that some abilities laid dormant until passed on. When she had me, some of that was passed to me and I had my sixth sense."   
  
Things were beginning to fall in place for Max. "Did Miranda have this sense?"  
  
Amaliya smiled thinking about her daughter. "No, that's when I really started being curious. I had always thought that I was strange. My husband Frank was a brilliant musician and poet. We started noticing that Miranda could sing at a very early age. She had a clear and beautiful voice."  
  
Max remembered the voice she had heard when Cassi sang herself to sleep...it must have been Miranda's. Her thoughts were interrupted by Amaliya, "She had the ability to pick up a song in seconds. What we didn't know about at first were the dreams. Randa had some as a child but I just assumed that they were stories. It was the one about Frank that made me realize..."  
  
Greg reached for his wife as she choked up. "It's still hard for her to talk about it. She loved them both very much."  
  
Max could almost feel that pain that Emily must have felt. She had suffered so much...  
  
Emily cleared her throat and continued, "Randa woke up crying from her nap. When I tried to comfort her, she kept sobbing, "Daddy...Daddy..." She wouldn't tell me what she saw." Amaliya paused. "It was that afternoon that I found out Frank had been killed in a car accident. I didn't have to tell Randa. She already knew." Amaliya paused for what she had said to sink in before she continued. "As she grew older, she learned to work with the dreams. They would often foreshadow the future."   
  
"She didn't have any dreams before the hospital incident?" Logan asked.  
  
Allan shook his head. "Not that we know of. In fact, Cassi and I had visited her at the hospital that morning. She had joked that her dreams had been very mellow recently...a tall handsome stranger in one...but nothing that had seemed to foreshadow things to come."  
  
"So, does Cassi have dreams too?" Max asked. "Is that why she woke up suddenly?"  
  
"No." Amaliya said. "We still don't understand how Nina's with the program worked but whatever it was, it wasn't predictable. Instead of working with the test subjects, it manifested in the children of them but the characteristics have not been stable. Through birth it is passed on but it changes. Frank was creative and musical so Randa was musical and had "sensing" dreams and Cassi..." Amaliya looked at her daughter who had been sitting quietly, eating toast, and watching. "Well, she really took us by surprise. She has my ability to sense people but..."  
  
"She also has my ability with language," Greg carried on her thought, "except she carries it even further. She is able to correctly mimic people's speech..."  
  
"...and feel their secrets..." said Logan.  
  
"...and copy their actions." Added Max.  
  
Greg and Amaliya looked at each other, surprised. "We never thought that she would do it with anyone else." Allan said. "She has never spoken to anyone but Amaliya, myself, and Randa.  
  
Logan looked at Cassi, "See you."  
  
"Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a streaming freedom bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly 60 seconds. It cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in the city..."  
  
Amaliya looked at Logan. "I now understand why you wanted to have breakfast with us but," she said, turning to Max, "I don't understand why Cassi brought you home."  
  
"Still don't understand how little sister's mind works." She looked at her watch. "We'll have to continue this chat some other time. If I'm not at work on time, I'll be hearing from Normal all day." With that, she grabbed her jacket and flew out the door leaving Amaliya and Greg staring at Logan.   
  
"Give her time," he said. "Best to leave her story for another day..."  
  
Out in the hall, Max leaned up against a wall. She was still trying to digest all that she had heard. Allan and Emily were not Allan and Emily but Greg and Amaliya. They had known Logan (or Eyes Only) longer than she did. More secret projects, people with special abilities, and a girl who wouldn't leave her alone. She didn't know if she dared tell these people about herself or not. It was better to leave than be tempted...  
  



	14. 

Max arrived at Jam Pony in time to hear Normal's "Where the fire truck is..."  
  
"Max." She poked her head around the corner. "You rang?"  
  
"Let's learn a new word today...it's punc-tu-al-i-ty...as in get to work on time." He tossed a package at her. "152 Elm."  
  
"Whatever," Max said, as she put the package under her arm and headed to her locker. There was no way she was rushing for him today. Original Cindy was at her locker waiting for.  
  
"Aiight boo, what's the dealio with stealin' a sista's music and not tellin' her nothin' about it?"  
  
(The CD...I forgot...) "Sorry...must have spaced. I left it at Logan's last night."  
  
"Well, you had betta get it back. That's music at it's finest." She thought for a minute and looked at Max, "Unless you and Mr. Wonder Wheels have been using it to go a few rounds...that I might overlook."  
  
Max rolled her eyes and shut her locker. "No." She said firmly and then sighed. "It's not like that and I wish you would drop it."  
  
"Come on boo, Original Cindy's seen the looks between the two of you...ya'll just need a little push..."  
  
"No, I don't need a push! What's with everyone. I can think for myself, I'm a big girl. Now leave me alone!"  
  
"Aiight, but you'd better be takin' a look in the mirror Sugah cuz you don't seem right. Original Cindy ain't talkin' bout no outside ugliness neither. You can yell at a sista all ya want but it ain't gonna change how it is."  
  
Max leaned her head against her locker. She was tired and it probably showed but she knew it wasn't physical. (So had Original Cindy.) Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, if she believed in that, she was drained. (Some revved up female I am...feel like I've been revved into a wall...)   
  
She didn't know why the morning's discussion had bothered her but it had. Listening to all of their stories, even the bad ones, made her feel so alone and notice all of the things that were missing in her life. The secret that she carried around with her was not some small secret but a deadly one. Talking about Manticore could mean not only her life or Logan's, but the life of every other X-5 as well. What scared her the most was how much she had wanted to tell Greg and Amaliya her story...to tell them everything. (Lydecker's voice rang in her head, "A good soldier trusts no one.") Hadn't she already broken that with Logan? Or had she? She trusted him with so much and yet there were still parts of her hidden that she never revealed to anyone.  
  
There had been a moment, sitting in that kitchen, when she had actually felt like she was part of something. There were others who had suffered too. Maybe not the same way she had but it had affected their lives and the lives of their children. They just might accept her. Then again, they just might reject her too. She was a genetically enhanced freak. They didn't have feline DNA and have to worry about the side-effects that went along with it. Maybe it would be better if she just went away...  
  
She heard the footsteps approaching from behind her but she didn't look up. There wasn't anyone that she wanted to talk to right now. Then, she felt the hand on her arm.   
  
"Max?" The voice said. It was Allan. She had almost forgotten that he worked there. The few days since she had Met Cassi seemed like an eternity. "Max, are you okay?"  
  
She turned and looked at him, too tired to try to hide behind her usually flippant attitude. "Yeah. I'm fine."  
  
His brown eyes studied hers for a moment. "I don't have to have my wife's gift to see that you are not telling the truth."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, I want to let you know that we are here for you."  
  
Max looked at him, eyes opened wide, "What did Logan..."  
  
Allan held his hand up. "No, Logan didn't tell us anything about you. You don't have to either. You could walk out that door and never see us again...forget we exist...but that won't make you feel any less alone."  
  
Max looked at him suspiciously, "If no one has told you anything about me, how did you know to say that?" (Logan must have said something...)  
  
Allan patted her arm. "I told you before that my daughter likes to bring home strays. Each one of them has been a homeless orphan, frightened, and looking like they've been through a battle, both mentally and physically. It may not have been noticeable to me but Cassi knew from the first day she met you that you fit that description. I'm just catching on."  
  
He started to walk away and then remembered something. "I came over to tell you that Logan offered to watch Cassi tonight. The way you took off, we thought you might need a break. He said to tell you that you are welcome to come by."  
  
Max bristled. So that was it. After two days, she had been replaced. Why should she be surprised? Who would want an unknown loose canon watching their child? (And they didn't even know what she was really like...)   
  
"Good choice. Logan will make a much better babysitter." Even as she said it, she could feel the disappointment in her stomach. She was really getting attached to Cassi.   
  
Allan turned just long enough to raise an eyebrow. "Oh, he's not a replacing you...just filling in until you feel up to it. I hope you will consider watching her again for us. Personally, I don't think Logan will make it through the night."  
  
As she walked away, Max grinned. It probably would be quite a sight to see...  
  



	15. 

"Cassi...Cassi..." Logan wheeled around the room. He was playing hide and seek with Cassi. At least he thought they were playing... It was hard to tell with her. He rubbed his eyes wearily. He had barely slept over the past week. First, it was depression, then Eyes Only, then Max, then Cassi and Max, then the breakfast meeting. He was going to have to sleep...and soon. He still wasn't sure why he had volunteered to watch Cassi but it had seemed like a good idea at the time...give Max a night off to regroup and let Greg and Amaliya go to work. Then needed their jobs, at least for now, until Logan could try to find them other employment (they had begun discussing options after Max left.)  
  
"Ok," he thought. "There is a seven year old somewhere in this apartment and I'm sitting here spacing out..." It was difficult finding Cassi because she was completely silent and never moved. He was heading to the kitchen when he heard the door open. Logan checked his watch. Bling said he was going to stop by to do some exercises. He was just in time...exercises could wait.  
  
****************  
  
The first thing Bling saw upon entering the apartment was Logan sitting in his chair in the middle of the doorway with an evil grin on his face. "That can't be good."  
  
Logan tried to look innocent. "Can't I just be glad to see a friend?"  
  
"Am I small, dark and beautiful with a killer smile...no. You're never that glad to see me...now I know you are up to no good."  
  
Logan shrugged. "I just need your help finding Cassi."  
  
Bling looked around. "Where's Max?"  
  
"I am watching her by myself tonight to give Max the night off. Are you implying I need Max to watch a child?"  
  
Bling grinned. "So, you're watching her by yourself."  
  
"Yes," Logan said, with a satisfied expression on his face.  
  
"And, you lost her..."  
  
"No, I didn't lose her...she's hiding...we're playing...hide and seek."  
  
"Man, you look like you've been playing beat the dude in the wheelchair with no sleep."  
  
"Yeah well, maybe I am but I have to find her."  
  
"Ok. Let's go."  
  
The two of them split up and searched the apartment but still couldn't find her.   
  
"Why don't you call Max?" Bling asked. "Bet she could find her."  
  
"I do not need to call Max." Logan said defensively. (The last thing I need is for her to show up and find out I can't find Cassi. I'll never hear the end of it.) "Just let me think...(What would Max do?)...I have an idea!"  
  
He wheeled into the kitchen, cleared his voice, and called, "Meow." It was the best he could do...he just hoped it would work.  
  
"You are really starting to lose it." Bling said. "You sure you don't want to call Max?"  
  
Logan shot him a look but he knew that if this kept up much longer that he just might have to do that. He was about to reach for the phone when Cassi appeared in the door way. "Meow."  
  
She was looking around. When her eyes rested on Logan, they seemed to darken slightly.  
  
"It worked." Bling remarked, "but something tells me that she doesn't like being tricked."  
  
"I can see that." He looked at Cassi, "Time for your nap." She didn't move. Instead, she started wandering around the house meowing.  
  
An hour later...  
  
"Meow."  
  
Well, he had tried feeding her, giving her a drink, reading her a story, taking a nap, and even listening to some of Original Cindy's music that Max had left.  
  
"Meow."  
  
None of it worked. Cassi was still wandering around.  
  
"Meow."  
  
"Ok genius." Bling said, "Now what?"  
  
"Meow."  
  
Logan sighed, "Now...we call Max."  
  



	16. 

Max was just getting ready to leave Crash when her pager went off. She looked down. "Well, at least he lasted a few hours..."  
  
"What's up boo?" Original Cindy asked.  
  
"Logan's watching Cassi...or at least, he's trying to. I'd better head over there."  
  
"Mmhmm...the Wheeled Wonder and Super Girl. There's a duo Original Cindy would like to see."  
  
"Super Girl?" Sketchy asked.  
  
"Stop droolin' stud muffin." Original Cindy said, rolling her eyes. "She's Allan's daughter, she's seven, and she could probably still drop your sorry self like yesterday's leftovers."  
  
Sketchy cocked an eyebrow. "Allan's got a daughter? His wife is pretty hot. Does she look like her? Maybe in a few years..."  
  
Max was over the table at him before he could finish. She grabbed him by the collar and leaned in close to his face. "Don't even think about it. You ever go near that girl, I'll be all over you like white on rice."  
  
Original Cindy slapped his face. "It won't be the way you dream about at night, neither. Didn't you learn nothin' from the time Allan gave you a beatin'?"  
  
Sketchy mumbled something about them not being able to take a joke and went to the bar.  
  
As soon as he left, Original Cindy and Max looked and each other and burst into a fit of laughter. "Did...you...see...his...face..." Max gasped, trying to control the laughter.   
  
"Yeah. He didn't know whether to pee his pants or praise the Lord that you were that close."  
  
"Ok." Max said, wiping a tear from her eye. It felt good to laugh. "I'd better go rescue Logan."  
  



	17. 

Max entered Logan's apartment and looked from Bling to Logan. "Ok gentlemen, what seems to be the problem? Don't tell me Cassi's too much for ya?"  
  
Logan was about to come up with a very creative story...ok, a lie...but Bling didn't give him a chance.  
  
"Miss Cassi decided to play hide and seek with our friend here. He found her by meowing but she hasn't stopped since."  
  
"Funny, I don't hear her now." Max grinned. Then she looked at Logan slyly, "You meowed? You've never meowed for me."  
  
Logan's face became flushed. "Just go find her...she's been calling you." He returned sulkily.  
  
Max didn't have to go anywhere. Cassi ran in the room and stood at Max's feet, making the cat sign.  
  
"Yes, "I'm here." Max looked at the clock. "Has she napped yet?" Max took Logan's downcast look as a no. She bent down to look Cassi in the eye. "Time to sleep." Cassi placidly put her hand in Max's and the two of them walked into the living room to the couch where Logan had left a blanket. They could hear Max call from the other room, "Wow, that was tough!"  
  
Bling laughed and grabbed his jacket. "Looks like you don't need me anymore."  
  



	18. Songs of Angels

After he had said goodbye to Bling, Logan went into the living room where Max was sitting on the couch with Cassi. It was quite a picture. Cassi was curled up under a blanket with her head in Max's lap. Max was looking down at her, slowly stroking the girl's hair in a soothing motion. (Some killing machine she was...)  
  
"Is she asleep?"  
  
Max shook her head and whispered, "Not yet. Can't you hear her?"  
  
"No. What do you hear?"  
  
"She's humming." Max said.  
  
Logan brought himself closer. "Now I hear her. Any idea what she is humming?"  
  
"Not really but it sounds familiar. It's not her voice."  
  
Logan looked at her. He would have to take her word for it. After all, her hearing was a bit better than his. He could make out the tune though. Max was right, it did sound familiar.  
  
"I wonder whose voice it is."  
  
"I think it's Miranda's." Max said thoughtfully. "It sounds very clear, like crystal, the same as when she was singing in front of the mirror."  
  
"Could be." Logan said. "They said Miranda used to sing her to sleep. Maybe it's one of the songs she used."  
  
"I just wish I knew what it was."  
  
Logan nodded. He knew that he had heard it before. Actually, it was recently that he had heard it. "I know what it is."  
  
Max looked at him.  
  
"It's a pre-pulse song off of Cindy's CD. Miranda probably sand or hummed it to Cassi to sooth her."  
  
"Why don't you play the song. Maybe it will help her sleep."  
  
Logan put the CD in and searched through the songs. Finally, he found it. He put it on low and both he and Max watched Cassi. As the music began, she stopped humming but stayed on Max's lap. Max stayed still so she would not disturb her, and listed to the song. She was pretty sure that it was one that Miranda sang but she almost felt as if Cassi had been singing it to her.  
  
Spend all your time waiting  
for that second chance  
for a break that would make it okay  
there's always one reason  
to feel not good enough  
and it's hard at the end of the day  
I need some distraction  
oh beautiful release  
memory seeps from my veins  
let me be empty  
and weightless and maybe  
I'll find some peace tonight  
  
In the arms of an angel  
fly away from here  
from this dark cold hotel room  
and the endlessness that you fear  
you are pulled from the wreckage  
of your silent reverie  
you're in the arms of the angel  
may you find some comfort there  
  
So tired of the straight line  
and everywhere you turn  
there's vultures and thieves at your back  
and the storm keeps on twisting  
you keep on building the lie  
that you make up for all that you lack  
it don't make no difference  
escaping one last time  
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh  
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees  
  
In the arms of an angel  
fly away from here  
from this dark cold hotel room  
and the endlessness that you fear  
you are pulled from the wreckage  
of your silent reverie  
you're in the arms of the angel  
may you find some comfort there  
you're in the arms of the angel  
may you find some comfort here  
  



	19. Awakening

  
  
  
Max woke up with a start. She couldn't believe that she had fallen asleep. The song was so soothing that she had drifted off...and she wasn't the only one. Logan sat near her in his chair, head hanging down as his chest rose and fell slowly. (Poor guy. He must be exhausted.)  
  
She looked down at Cassi and realized what had woken her. Cassi was twitching, not violently, but enough to concern Max. She reached out and touched Logan's shoulder. "Logan...Logan..." she said, getting a little louder.  
  
His eyes opened slowly and he moved his head from side to side to remove an invisible kink that had developed. As he adjusted his glasses, his eyes focused on Max, "I'm sorry. I guess I fell..."  
  
"It's okay." Max said. "So did I. Look at Cassi."  
  
Logan looked, "what's wrong?"  
  
"I think it's a dream. Let me see if I can wake her up." She gently shook Cassi's shoulder and called her name. The girl jumped up and sat bolt upright.  
  
"It's okay." Max said, trying to be soothing. Cassi's movement had startled her. The girl was usually very calm and moved in slow deliberate motions. Now, she looked agitated.  
  
"I wish I knew what you were dreaming about kiddo." Max said.  
  
"Mira."  
  
Max could have kicked herself. She should have known better than to mention dreams.  
  
"I know. Mira dreamed but Cassi dreams too." She tried to explain.  
  
"Mira."  
  
Max sighed. She began thinking of their conversation with Greg and Amaliya, hoping to find something useful. Instead, she thought of something else.  
  
"Logan, what did Greg say about the day of Miranda's incident?"  
  
"He said." Logan stopped. "He said that they had visited her that day."  
  
"What if she feels responsible? What if she feels that she could have stopped it?" Max looked at Cassi. She knew very well the guilt that was carried after the loss of a sibling. Thoughts of Eva flashed in her mind but she pushed them out. She had to focus on Cassi now.  
  
Max put her hand on Cassi's arm. "It's okay Cassi. It's not your fault that Mira died. It was an accident."  
  
Cassi's eyes started to darken. Max looked at Logan. "What did I say? I've never seen her like this before."  
  
"I have." Logan said. "She did it earlier when I meowed. It think it was because she felt deceived."  
  
"I wasn't deceiving her." Max said.  
  
Logan's eyebrows raised slightly. "Accident?"  
  
"It may not have been an accident that the bomb was set but it was an accident that Miranda was in it." Max looked at Cassi. If anything, her eyes had darkened even more.   
  
"It wasn't an accident that Miranda was in it." She tried. There was no change  
  
Logan tried something else, "Miranda wasn't in it." Cassi's eyes returned to normal and she looked at Logan.  
  
Max looked at Logan. "But Greg and Amaliya said..."  
  
He cut her off. "Maybe Cassi knows something that they don't."  
  
  



	20. Mira

"The question is," Logan said to Max. "What does she know?"  
  
"And how does she know it?" Max added.  
  
They both looked at Cassi wondering how to unlock what was inside of her.  
  
Logan started. "Let's try what we know. Cassi and Greg went to the hospital to visit Miranda."   
  
Max continued, "There was anything out of the ordinary. They said that Miranda hadn't had any dreams about the explosion."  
  
"But she did have one about a man who took an interest in her..."  
  
They both looked at Cassi as Logan asked the question, "Cassi, did you see a man?"  
  
Cassi's head went down.  
  
"Mira."  
  
"Even if she did see him Logan, how would she know anything about him?"  
  
"Remember that she feels things from people. Maybe he spoke to her. I just wish I know what he said."  
  
Cassi's head lifted and she looked Logan in the eyes, "So, little one, do you dream too?"  
  
Max felt as if the blood had frozen in her veins. There were tears threatening in her eyes as she raised them to meet Logan's. Neither of them had to say it. They both knew who the voice belong to...Donald Lydecker.  
  



	21. Questions

  
The next morning...  
  
Logan sat staring at his computer. He was looking for something, anything that would give them a clue as to what had happened to Miranda. It would be quite an understatement to say that Cassi's revelation had surprised them. They had thought that Cassi was haunted by the death of her sister. Instead, they had stumbled onto things they had never imagined.  
  
The hours that had passed since Cassi left had been spent in a frantic search for information. Logan's mind reeled with questions. What had really happened? How was Lydecker involved? Did he kidnap Miranda? If so, why? Did he know about Amaliya's family history? Probably not, or he would have wanted Cassi and Amaliya too. Could it have been just a coincidence? No. Lydecker had mentioned dreams. He knew something.  
  
He was so wrapped up with the questions in his mind that he didn't hear Bling come in. The sound of his voice made Logan jump.  
  
"You are up early."  
  
"No. I am up still."  
  
Bling looked at him. "Max okay?"  
  
"Yeah. She's just fine but Eye's Only had a new project."  
  
"Okay. So what do we do with these pieces of information that just came in?" Bling asked, holding up a handful of manilla envelopes.  
  
"I'll take a look at them but this case is going to take up my time for a while."  
  
Bling nodded. He knew that it must be important for Logan to put other cases on hold. He also knew that Logan would tell him about it when he was ready.  
  
As Bling left the room, Logan flipped through the information that had come from Detective Matt Sung.   
  
...Rogue military captain with a possible underground militia...  
...Complaint from college student that she felt like she was being watched...  
...Local mayor implicated in drug running operation...  
...Execution style murder in market street...  
  
The list went on and on...  
  
Logan sighed. Some things still hadn't changed. Corruption, violence, greed...society was still plagued with them. Fortunately, there was no mention of any people with barcodes. Logan routinely kept an eye on the police records just in case anything came up about one of the X-5's. He owed Max that much.  
  
As he put the papers on his desk, a thought occurred to him. Picking up the phone, he dialed a number. It was a private line.  
  
"Matt, it's Logan. I need you to look into something for me..."  
  



	22. Putting Things Together

A little later...  
  
Logan sat in his chair looking at Max. She was still digesting what he had said.  
  
"So, you think the disappearance are connect with Lydecker?"  
  
"It's very probable. Look at the similarities...no local family or no family at all. No one would miss them. The only way the police would know about these is because a neighbor or co-worker reported it. Each of them was between the age of 20 and 24. School records show either high intelligence or creative abilities. One was a child prodigy in music. Another was a prolific writer."  
  
"What does this have to do with Lydecker?"  
  
"What if he has taken his project to the next level? I've seen some movement of military personnel to a few small secluded facilities. There are few people but they are doctors and nurses transferred from other facilities to these new ones. I can't find a name for it but the security looks just right for another Manticore."  
  
"But why would he want these girls? He can't train them for soldiers. What are they..." She trailed off and paled. "Good age for reproducing, aren't they?"  
  
Logan nodded. "Probably one of the best scientifically. They are young and strong. Maybe Lydecker wasn't pleased with the woman he has used in the past. Volunteers weren't cutting it anymore. He didn't know what kind of psychological makeup they had. There must be a lot of accusations flying around about..."  
  
"Ben." Max finished and nodded. "Yeah. They can't risk having another psychotic killing machine running around. At least, not in public. It could give them a bad name."  
  
Logan heard the sarcasm in her voice but didn't say anything. He knew that it was covering a deep pain. A pain that Manticore had created.   
  
"By hand-picking the mothers, they are producing a control group. They can pick and choose different talents and abilities and see what happens when this is mixed with other components."  
  
"Instead of just being focused on a mission, these kids could blend in anywhere..." Max said thoughtfully. "They could open a whole new arena for themselves. Who would suspect a concert pianist of being a world-class assassin?"  
  
"We don't know what they know about Miranda either. Was she abducted because she was intelligent in the medical field...I checked, she got all A's. or did they somehow find out about her other abilities? A second sense, even by dreams, would be a gold-mind for Manticore."  
  
"How long has it been since Miranda disappeared?"  
  
"A year."  
  
"A year...then, if we are right..."  
  
"If we are right, she may already be carrying a child."  
  
Max closed her eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of someone else being subjected to the horrors of Manticore and then producing a child from it. She steeled herself and looked at Logan. Get me the addresses and layouts for the facilities."  
  
"You know this is a dangerous mission Max. Are you sure you want to do it by yourself?"  
  
"I don't see that I have any choice." Logan opened his mouth to say something and then shut it.   
  
"I'll be careful but I won't sit back and do nothing. I have to know what's going on."  
  
Logan knew that would be her answer but he had had to give her an out. He wanted to find out the truth about Miranda just as much as she did but he didn't want to lose her in the process.  
  
"Logan, we have to tell Greg and Amaliya."  
  
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. If they somehow find out about Amaliya, she and Cassi will both be in danger."  
  
"You tell them and get me the information. I'll take care of the recon. We will find her."  
  
Turning back to his computer his hands started flying over the keys. "If I have the information tonight, will that be soon enough."  
  
She flashed a sly smile. "Of course. We cats love the dark." Then she disappeared leaving him with his computer and the beginning of the worst headache ever.  
  



	23. Recon

  
Max paused outside the gate to take one more look at the picture. The blonde smiling face looked back at her yet again. "Where are you Miranda?" She asked the picture before she placed it back in her pocket. How she wished she could respond. Greg and Amaliya had given the picture to Max when she went to Logan's to get the addresses. She hadn't expected them to be there. The looks on their faces told Max just how much of a shock the news had been to them. Greg had wanted to go with her but Logan had convinced Greg to trust them and let Max go by herself.  
  
So, here she stood in the dark, outside of the final facility. The others were set up with delivery rooms, incubators, etc. but the only people she saw had been staff. This one was their last chance.  
  
Inside the fence, she crept her way to the building. She didn't want to have contact with anyone. If this was the place, she would have to come back and it would be easier if they weren't suspicious. The other facilities had skeleton crews, so it had been easy to look through all of the windows and then creep through the buildings undetected. This one felt different already. She went to the first window. It was a type of cell with just a bunk on the side, a locked door, and a grate covering the window. There was no one in it.  
  
The second cell she found had a dark-skinned girl with short black hair. (Logan might be right after all...) The next one she found made her breath catch in her chest. It was Miranda. The face was the one in the picture except she looked even more like Amaliya in person. She sat on the bunk starting straight at the wall in front of her, face set in a determined look. (At least she hasn't give up.) Max knew how important that look was. It would be more difficult if Miranda had already given in to Manticore. If she was still fighting, she would be more of an assistance in an escape attempt. As Max watched, Miranda leaned back against the wall and brought her knees to her chest. Well, that was what she attempted to do. The large expansion of her stomach made the action difficult.  



	24. Pieces

  
At Logan's...  
  
When Max returned, she expected to find Logan asleep in his chair in front of his computer. It was not an uncommon occurrence. Instead, she heard voices coming from the kitchen. Greg and Amaliya were still there. The three faces turned expectantly as she entered the room. Max nodded to them and Amaliya clutched Greg's hand.  
  
"Are you sure?" Greg whispered.  
  
"Yes. I am." She said, placing the picture on the table.  
  
"Is she okay?" Amaliya's voice quivered as she spoke.  
  
"She looks like she's okay considering where she is." Max replied.  
  
"Who are these people?" Greg asked.  
  
"It's a long story." Logan said, then he turned to Max. "Do you know if our theory was correct?"  
  
Max nodded quietly. They hadn't told Greg and Amaliya everything they suspected. There was a hope that they would be wrong and this would all be a bad dream.  
  
Greg asked first. "What theory?"  
  
Logan responded. "These people work with an organization called Manticore. They like to do experiments with genetics and their effects on a fetus. It is their hope to create a type of soldier superior to all for work in covert operations and the like."  
  
Max continued for him. "We think that they somehow learned of Miranda's special abilities and want to see how it would combine with the DNA tampering that they have already attempted. We will need to work on getting a plan together and fast...Miranda is pregnant."  
  
They heard a gasp from Amaliya and a hushed "Oh My God" from Greg.  
  
Logan turned his attention to Max. "We will have to act soon then. If they remain true to form, they are not exactly hospitable to mothers."  
  
Max nodded. "If they get wind of this, they will move her quickly. We will have to be very quiet."  
  
Greg nodded his agreement trying to take in all he had heard. Amaliya sat studying Logan's face. "I know you are Eye's Only, but how do you know so much about their operations?"  
  
"I'm sorry Amaliya, I know that this involves you but I can't reveal my source. Let's just say that I have a source who was been inside Manticore."  
  
"Are you sure that you can trust this source?" Greg asked. "If Manticore is as bad as you say it is, what would prevent them from sending someone to lure you into a trap. How do we know that this isn't one big scheme for someone to find Amaliya and that Miranda isn't really dead?"  
  
Amaliya's eyes face was drawn with fatigue and her eyes were moist with tears that had been threatening all day. "I just don't know what to believe anymore. This whole Manticore thing just sounds too awful to be true. I know that people have experimented in the past. My family is a testimony to this but actual DNA experimentation? What would be the product of such a thing?"  
  
Logan brought his hand up to object but Max calmly put her hand over his. "That would be me." She said calmly. "Logan can't tell you his source because he was protecting me. I am what they called an X-5, a genetically enhanced soldier with feline DNA. If you think that what you have heard about Manticore is disturbing, let me tell you this. You have no idea."  
  
****************  
  
Logan shook his head in an attempt to clear the fog that had been forming in his head. His body was screaming for sleep but he knew that it would have to wait. The mission depended on it. (The mission? Maybe he had been around Zack once too often...)  
  
Greg and Amaliya had gotten over the initial shock of Max's revelation. There had been a stunned silence but it had only lasted a minute. Greg had a few reservations about trusting Max but it really didn't surprise him or Max. (It did seem to hurt for a minute...) Fortunately, Amaliya's sensing of people had helped out. Logan could still picture the moment when Amaliya reached for Max's hand...  
  
***  
"I'm so sorry Max. We had no idea." Amaliya said.  
  
"I know. There was no way for you to have know." She said. Her face still registered the suspicion that she had seen in Greg. "I know it must be difficult to know what to think about me. Don't worry about it. I feel the same way."  
  
Amaliya shook her head. "No matter what they had planned for you, you have made your own way. There's no way that you would be working with Eye's Only if you hadn't. I can feel a goodness in you. You may doubt it but I don't." Her look had been enough for Greg and he soon came around.   
  
Max had looked like she had just been give the world on a silver platter...  
  
***  
Logan sighed. It was so sad that it only took a little trust to make Max's day. That was one commodity that was very rare indeed. He knew that it was something that he himself had been guilty of on occasion. In his effort to protect her, he had kept things from her, especially personal things. That must have hurt the most of all...  
  
Breaking free from his self-reflection, he looked at the map of the facility that was in front of him. The four of them had devised a plan. Greg had refused to be left behind this time. It was probably for the best. He knew a guy who had a jeep that he could borrow. It would be easier for Max to do the job and get to the jeep with Greg driving it instead of having to drive it herself. Logan would be more useful back at the apartment where he could monitor transmissions and keep in touch with Greg via a secure cell phone. Amaliya and Cassi would stay there with him and wait for them to return...with Miranda. They even had Bling on call in case a medical emergency were to arise. Now, he had to wait. Everyone had gone home to prepare, regroup and get the things they needed. In an hour, they would meet again at Logan's apartment and everything would begin for real...  
  



	25. False Starts

  
Max and Greg looked at each other. They were seated in the front seat of the Jeep, going over things one last time. They had all the supplies they would need, right down to the blanket in the backseat for Miranda and her unborn child. It had been a few days since her recon mission and Max was anxious to get this under way.  
  
Greg had just started the engine when they heard Amaliya's voice.  
  
"Max!"  
  
Max whipped around at the panic in Amaliya's voice. "What's the matter Amaliya? Is something wrong with Cassi?"  
  
Amaliya shook her head. "No. I just put her down for her nap in the guest room. It's Logan. He's passed out."  
  
Max jumped out of the jeep past Amaliya leaving the door swinging behind her. She rushed to the stairway, not wanting to take the time to wait for the elevator. With a burst of speed, she flew up the stairs hoping that she wouldn't plow anyone down on her way. When she reached the apartment, she saw Logan slumped on his desk unconscious. She picked up the phone and dialed. "Bling, it's Max. Logan passed out. I need you here ten minutes ago."  
  
*****************  
  
Logan opened his eyes to the sight of four anxious faces staring at him. Realizing that he was laying in his bed, he tried to sit himself up. That's when he felt a hand hold him down.  
  
"What's going on..." Logan wondered aloud.  
  
The voice that responded to Logan was from the same person who had pushed him down on the bed - Bling. "I told you that you needed sleep but you didn't listen to me. Now, you are exhausted and dehydrated. You passed out."  
  
"Damn." Logan muttered under his breath. "Of all the times...What about Miranda? Did you get her?" His eyes traveled until they rested on Max's face. Her eyes were full of concern.  
  
"We were about to leave when Amaliya told us you passed out." Max replied casually, leaving out the detail that she had almost broken her neck on the stairs in her hurry to get to him.  
  
"You can't wait." Logan said. "You know that she could be moved at any time."  
  
Greg looked hesitantly from Max to Amaliya. He was anxious to go after Miranda but he wasn't sure about Max at the moment.  
  
Max looked at Bling. "Will he be all right?"  
  
Bling nodded. "I'll stay here to make sure. I have an extra IV that I can hook him up to for now to take care of the dehydration. We'll see what we can do about him taking a nap. Between the three of us, we should be able to monitor the radio channels, keep in touch with you, and get ready for Miranda."  
  
Max turned to Greg. "Looks like you and me have some work to do."  
  



	26. It Begins

  
It was dark when they neared the access road to the facility. They had agreed that Greg would drop Max off just before the road, pretend to be changing a tire, and then take off. He would travel down the road for a while and then double back to pick Max and Miranda up at the appointed time.  
  
When the jeep came to a stop, Max gave Greg a quick wave, opened the door, did a quick tuck and roll away from the jeep, ran quickly into the trees near the road and flattened herself against a tree. She heard Greg shut her door, open his own and fiddle around with the tire. A minute later, the jeep was gone. She turned to run for the fence when she felt a presence behind her.  
  
In one fluid motion, she whipped herself around and took a defensive stance. Her eyes focused in the dark on the familiar figure in front of her.   
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
  
  



	27. You...

Max stood staring at Cassi. She still couldn't believe her eyes.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She repeated. In her head it was a scream but it came out in a strong whisper.  
  
"Mira." Was the simple response.  
  
Max stared at the girl. How did she get here? The image of the blanket in the jeep flashed through her mind followed by the chaos that had been present during Logan's episode. She looked at the road but she knew that the jeep was long gone. The only thing she could do was continue and take Cassi with her. This could be their only chance to rescue Miranda.  
  
*****************  
  
Bending down, Max put Cassi's arms around her neck and lifted her onto her back. She had to get to the fence and get over it quickly. There was no way that she could leave the girl here by herself.   
  
Warning Cassi to hold on tight, she sprinted to the fence. Scaling it quickly, she jumped to the other side, landing on her feet with knees bent and Cassi's body bouncing on her back. For once, she was thankful to Manticore for making them do drills with heavy artillery and supply packs. Cassi's weight was nothing in comparison.  
  
Bending down, Max made eye contact. They were going to have to learn to work together...and fast. "You do what I do and don't make a sound." She ordered. Cassi nodded. Max decided to test her.  
  
She crept along the fence ten feet and landed silently with her stomach flattened on the ground. In a few seconds, Cassi was right beside her. Her skilled mimicry was probably going to be the one thing that kept them both alive.  
  
*****************  
  
Max crept up to the building with Cassi behind her. She knew where Miranda's cell was but she didn't want any surprises. First, she wanted to check the main office to see if anything was going on tonight.  
  
The two of them found the right window and crouched under it to hear what was going on inside. Max rolled her eyes and suppressed a sigh of disgust. Lydecker was inside. The plan had been simple enough but it was growing more complex by the minute...  
  
Max pulled her face up enough so that her eyes could see in the bottom of the heavily grated window. The office was partially below ground level so the window was a few feet above anyone in the room. Nevertheless, Max didn't want to take any chances.  
  
Lydecker was speaking to a soldier, his voice as cold and demanding as ever.  
  
"Explain yourself soldier."  
  
The soldier was standing at attention but his voice was shaking. "Sir, um, the woman was begging...I just thought that if she could see the child...just for a moment..."  
  
Lydecker cut him off. "Even though you were under orders to keep them separate at all times. You may have jeopardized all the work that we have done."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Where is the child now?"  
  
The soldier stared at the floor. "With her mother, sir."  
  
Max could see the fury in Lydecker's face.  
  
"You are a disgrace to the uniform," He paused. "...and a liability to this organization." Before the soldier could respond, a shot rang out and the soldier slumped to the floor.  
  
Max was on her feet and running towards the other side of the building, Cassi behind her, as Lydecker told someone to clean up the "mess." Lydecker had not been at the facility the night she had done her recon. It had been her hope that he would be elsewhere. Her one wish was that Lydecker would be wrapped up in this other situation until they were safely gone. She had to get to Miranda...now.  
  



	28. The Mission

Finding the window of Miranda's cell, Max noticed, with a sigh of relief, that Miranda was there...and alone. Her back was to the window but Max could notice that she was trembling. There was no more time to waste. They had to get her out of there before the place got to her anymore than it already had.  
  
Making their way to a side door, Max picked the lock and peeked inside to make sure no one was coming. She motioned for Cassi to come in and then she shut the door carefully. Then, she directed Cassi to a cleaning closet and followed her into the small room. Motioning for Cassi to sit, she covered her with some mops and rags that she had found. "Stay here." She whispered. "I'll be back in a minute." Silently, she slipped back out the door and headed in the direction of Miranda's cell.  
  
When she was around the corner from the cell, she noticed that there was a guard outside of the cell. (They must be getting ready to transport her out of here or to the delivery room...) Taking a breath, Max rounded the corner and brought her elbow into contact with the base of the guard's skull. He landed with a thud on the ground, his hand still reaching for the handle of his gun.  
  
It took her an extra few seconds to pick the lock on the cell door but it finally released with a small click and muted sigh from Max. She opened the door and noticed the at first startled then astonished look on Miranda's face. Max put a finger to her lips. "I'll explain later."  
  
"I know." Miranda said. "I dreamed this...I wasn't sure if it was real or not." She looked around. "Where is she?"  
  
Max's mind raced. "She is..." She knew that Miranda must be talking about Cassi but something else had just dawned on her. Miranda had a bundle in her arms...it was a baby, her baby. Max felt a surge of panic. "We need to get out of here. If your baby was the one that soldier was talking about, that means that Lydecker is...  
  
The sound of the metallic click of a handgun registered in her mind in the same instant she heard the cold, even voice. "Right behind you Max. Where is who?"  
  



	29. Confrontations

Okay, I finally got through the few parts that were giving me trouble...Please keep in mind that the next few chapters are actually fast paced. If it seems like they are dragged out, it is only because I wanted to include the details.  
  
*******************  
Max and Miranda exchanged a fleeting glance but neither one allowed anything to show on their faces. It was a silent agreement to protect their mutual sister - Cassi was not to be mentioned.  
"Don't try it." Lydecker said, misreading the glance. "I taught you everything you know."  
"Not quite." Max replied, "I have feelings...unlike you."  
Lydecker waved his free hand in the air as if dismissing the feelings. "Emotions can be controlled just like people. You just have to know how to do it." He paused to look at Max. "You do realize that any action on your part will jeopardize the civilian...and your mission."  
Max tried to push what he was saying out of her mind. He was trying to keep her off balance and thinking like Manticore again so she wouldn't make a move against him. He was wrong in his tactics. Fear didn't work on her anymore...not from him. She just needed to wait for the right moment.  
"Who is with you." He repeated with his gun still pointed at her. He moved so he could watch her, Miranda, and the entrance of the cell at the same time. (If he only knew it was a seven year old he was afraid of...) "It's not Zack. Miss Carlisle asked where "she" was." He continued the questioning. "Too bad. You and Zack always worked well together. Maybe you recruited someone else? No, that would put you at a tactical disadvantage. A normal person's skills are unacceptable to your own. I taught you better than that. It must be an X-5."  
Max seethed inside. He made himself sound like a wise teacher or mentor instead of the cold, cruel monster that was his true nature.  
Lydecker still stood erect with the gun focused on her. "Not going to tell me?"  
She let her silence answer for her.  
He smiled in spite of himself. "Mission Training Lesson 36 - Never reveal the position or identity of a fellow soldier."" He said to Max. "You are still one of us."  
"I am not one of you." She hissed.  
"Then tell me who is with you."  
  
She looked at Lydecker and remained silent for a second. (Why is he just standing there asking me questions? Why hasn't he done something by now?) Then she noticed it - he had no radio with him. He had no way to call for backup. He was in a room with one exit, two hostiles, and an unknown, possible X-5 somewhere...maybe even outside the door. Lydecker couldn't leave because he could be walking into an ambush. He didn't want to shoot either of them. His options were limited...Stalemate.  
  
Half-smiling, Max softened her voice. "There's no one but little ole me." She knew he wouldn't buy it and the mocking familiarity would grate on him. "Can't a girl come back for a visit?" She made eye contact with him. There was no way that she was going to let him get to her and she would not let him win. Carefully, she took a step closer to him in a veiled challenge.  
  
"Good." Lydecker responded. "Act like you don't care. Respond with sarcasm. Never let the enemy get to you. You did learn well."  
  
She tilted her head to the side and lightly said, "Didn't I?"  
"Let's see how well." He replied, as he placed the gun to Miranda's head.  
  
Not wanting to register any emotion, she replied carelessly, "You wouldn't. You need her too much."  
  
"I admit that we had hoped to use her again. She carried TX-1 very well but I think you will be a more than satisfactory substitute. There are others with similar and even better capabilities than her. At least we will have the one child to work with and train.  
Miranda was trying to remain calm but Max saw her grip on the sleeping baby tighten. Lydecker noticed too.  
"So, who is with you?"  
Without hesitation, Max whipped her body around, connecting the heel of her boot with the gun, sending it flying across the room. A second kick threw him back against the wall but only hindered him momentarily. She swung her arm to knock him down but he ducked down and then kicked Max's feet from under her. Leaning slightly down, he placed his boot heavily on her chest and said slowly, "Remember, I've spent years training people like you. I don't go down that easy. I know your tricks."  
"But you don't know mine." Miranda replied, gun in hand. She had gone after the gun during their struggle and now stood pointing it at Lydecker. "Let her go."  
  
"You're not a killer." Lydecker said, not moving.   
  
"Yes, well, I wasn't a lot of things before you abducted me. I adapt quickly. Let her go."  
  
Lydecker backed up and offered a hand to Max. She gave him a dark look and jumped to her feet. When she did, Lydecker grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back. She was about to move when she felt the cold metal against her temple. Of course, he carried a spare.  
  
"Well, Miss Carlisle. It seems we are back to where we began. I'm prepared to shoot. Are you?"  
  
Miranda's hand wavered as she looked from Lydecker to Max. She wasn't trained as a soldier and the pressure was definitely showing. Suddenly, there was a movement near the doorway and Lydecker pushed Max to the wall. Her face was a few feet from Miranda's but she wasn't looking at Max. Both her and Lydecker were staring at the figure in the doorway. Max turned her head slightly and gasped but it was Miranda who voiced their thoughts in a gasping, emotion-filled word. "Cassi."  



	30. Here, There or Somewhere Else?

  
Logan opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep again. It was really starting to irritate him. Why couldn't he have lasted one more night? His body had to pick tonight to quit on him? Bling had stuck around to help with the surveillance of the facility. Amaliya was staring out a window. Logan felt totally useless. Moving the best he could, he used his arms to pull himself into a sitting position. Bling had helped him move to the couch so he would know what was going on.   
  
"Anything showing up on there?" He asked Bling.  
  
"Not yet. Everything looks quiet. If she is in, she hasn't alerted security."  
  
"So far, so good." Logan replied. "Let's hope It stays that way."  
  
Amaliya turned away from the window. Logan knew how worried she must be about her daughter but there was nothing that he could say at this point to help. They all had to sit, wait and hope for the best. It seemed like the waiting was starting to get to her.  
  
Stretching, she got up from where she was seated and headed out of the room. "I'd better check on Cassi. It will give me something to do."  
  
As she left the room, Bling looked at Logan. "Is she going to be all right?"  
  
"I think so. Everything depends on whether or not Max is successful. This could be the best or worst night of her life."  
  
Bling nodded. He was about to reply when they heard the scream.  
  
"Cassi! Caaaaaaasssssssssi!!"  
  
Bling ran out of the room as Logan sat hopelessly. His chair was across the room and he knew that he was probably too weak to lift himself into it anyways. A moment later, Bling came in with Amaliya in his arms. He set her in a chair.  
  
"What happened?" Logan asked in shock.  
  
"I'm not sure." Bling said. "But Cassi's not in the room."  
  
"Did you check the bathroom and my room?"  
  
Bling nodded. "She could be hiding again."  
  
"Let's hope so."  
  
"Where else could she be?"   
  
Logan went over the night's events in his mind. "Amaliya put her to bed just before Greg and Max left. Then...oh my God!"  
  
"What?" Bling asked.  
  
"Amaliya ran to get them when I passed out and they came back up. What if she went out then?"  
  
"You mean she's wandering the streets?"  
  
"Or worse." Logan replied thoughtfully. "What if she went in the jeep?"   
  
"Wouldn't they have noticed?"  
  
"Remember how she hides?"  
  
"Maybe we'd better check around here before we panic."  
  
"You're the meow master."  
  
Logan glared at him. "Just get me in the chair."  
  
A few minutes later, Logan was slowly wheeling around the apartment. (Please be here, Cassi.)  
  
"Meow."  
  
"Meow."  
  
The only thing that greeted him was silence and the sound of Amaliya stirring in her chair.  
  
"Houston, we have a problem." Bling said.  
  
"I'd better call Greg." Bling handed Logan the phone and went to get some water for Amaliya. "Max," Logan whispered to himself, "I hope you know what you're doing."  
  



	31. What I Feared the Most...

  
Max tried to pull away from the wall but Lydecker held her there firmly, one hand holding her arm behind her back, the other with holding the gun firmly to her head. Even she couldn't out run a bullet at this distance. Miranda's whole body seemed to crumble. Her hand was slowly falling and her knees were buckling.   
  
"Put the gun down." Lydecker ordered.  
  
Miranda searched Max's face but complied. She knew that she was not experienced with a gun and any attempt at bravery would probably get Max killed. Lydecker rotated around and kicked the gun into a far corner away from the door. Then he turned to look at Cassi. Max could imagine the puzzled yet amused look on his face. "Soldier, tell me that this is not your backup." He said in his commanding voice. Then he looked at Cassi and softened it slightly. "Miss Carlisle's sister, I presume. So, it's Cassi, is it? We've met but never been introduced."  
  
Miranda looked at her sister with a mixture of joy and horror. She had been afraid that she would never see her again so it was wonderful to see how she had grown. On the other hand, this man, as little as she knew about him, was the last person she wanted knowing about Cassi. The sight of her made Miranda wonder what had happened over the past year. The sister she remembered ran everywhere and never stopped talking or making a noise. Maybe her mother and Greg had finally calmed her down a bit but Miranda couldn't help feeling that something had seriously changed in the little one. The figure standing there was expressionless, silent, and dressed in a janitor's shirt which hung down over her normal clothing. Miranda couldn't figure out what was going on. She knew that this other woman in the room (Max, was she?) was here to rescue her but she didn't know how or why.  
  
"So, are you training soldiers yourself now?" Lydecker asked Max. "What have you taught her so far?"  
  
Max looked at Cassi. (Why did she come out of hiding? Why was she wearing that shirt?) Using her keen sight, Max focused in on Cassi's face. It was fixed on Lydecker. The girl hadn't even acknowledged the presence of Max or Miranda. There it was, Max felt a sinking beginning in her stomach. Cassi's blue eyes were taking on more and more gray. They continued to darken as she kept her eyes on Lydecker. Max didn't know exactly what was happening but it was definitely something major.  
  
"I don't think I've taught her that much..." Max said. She was trying to get his focus off of Cassi but the next thought slipped out under her breath before she could catch it. "You've already taught her enough for both of us."  
  
Lydecker seemed to contemplate the statement. "I met her once. What makes you think she's learned anything from me?" Not expecting an answer, he pulled Max with him so he could stand in front of Cassi. Pushing Max's head down, he made her kneel on the floor so he could see Cassi at eye level.  
  
"What have I taught you Cassi?" He asked.  
  
Cassi's left hand came up and a finger pointed at Lydecker. Only moving one finger so he wouldn't lose his grip on Max, Lydecker pointed back. He didn't quite notice the slow intakes of breath that were coming from the other two in the room.  
  
Max's eyes frantically searched Miranda's. She knew that Miranda was helpless. The woman had no weapon and a baby to protect. Besides that, there was a fear in Miranda's eyes. Max recognized it because it mirrored her own. They didn't know what Cassi would say but it would give Lydecker more knowledge than they wanted him to have. Nodding slightly to Miranda with her eyes, Max threw her elbow back as hard as she could into Lydecker's gun hand. The violent motion caused the gun to go off and the bullet grazed her shoulder. Shocked momentarily, Max blocked out the stinging in her shoulder, and tried to regain herself. She kicked at the gun, missed, and sent a second rapid kick to his knee. The crunching sound turned her stomach as Lydecker sunk to the floor with a groan.  
  
Unfortunately, she was too late. As he fell to the ground, they heard Cassi's voice. Her eyes were still darkening.   
  
"You are a disgrace to the uniform," She said and paused just as he had.  
  
Lydecker's eyes were open wide in the realization that the voice coming from the girl was his. For a split second, his fingers relaxed on the gun Max kicked it, rolled him on his stomach with his arm behind his back.   
  
Miranda did not know what was going on but Max did. She had seen what happened at the end of this statement and she suddenly realized why Cassi had the shirt on. (How am I going to get to her without letting him go?) The gun from the fallen guard appeared from beneath it as she continued, "...and a liability to this organization."  
  



	32. A Parent's Nightmare

  
  
Greg was about to turn the jeep around when the phone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Greg, it's Logan. How is everything up there?"  
  
"Fine so far." Greg said. "I'm just about to go back. Everything seems okay. Have you heard anything?"  
  
Greg was concerned. They had agreed to observe phone silence unless something was wrong. What wasn't Logan telling him?  
  
"I've been monitoring the military frequencies in the area. So far, so good."  
  
"So, what is the problem?" Greg asked. As Logan filled him in on their theory, Greg's face paled and his grip tightened on the steering wheel. Pulling over to the side of the road, he put the phone down and turned to look in the backseat. The blanket that had been laying on the seat was pushed to one side. Cursing quietly, he picked the phone up once again. "I think you are right but it may be worse than you think. I'll be in touch." Without further explanation, he tossed the phone on the seat beside him and quickly turned the jeep around. Dust and rocks flew as his foot connected with the accelerator.  
  
Cassi was either back near the road or she had followed Max. Neither one was an especially attractive thought to his father's heart.  
  



	33. Frozen in Time

  
Max felt helpless. Cassi had the gun trained on Lydecker's head. She couldn't move to stop her or Lydecker would escape. Realizing what was happening, Miranda quickly moved in front of Cassi.  
  
"Cassi, no. You can't do this."  
  
Cassi blinked her eyes but the color did not change. She began again.  
  
"You are a disgrace to the uniform..."  
  
"Cassi." Miranda shouted.  
  
Cassi blinked and started again but there was a slight stutter this time and it was slower.  
  
"Y-you are...a disgrace..."  
  
"Cassi," Miranda pleaded once again, kneeling down in front of her. "Cassi, it's Mira. Don't do this Casimir, don't do it."  
  
Cassi's eyes blinked one more time and when they opened, they were a gray blue and moist. She spoke with a small voice in a hesitant whisper.  
  
"Mira?"  
  
Miranda sighed and held out her free arm. "Yes, it's me. I'm okay. Don't do this."  
  
"Mira." Cassi cried and burst into sobs on Miranda's shoulder. Miranda closed her eyes, wrapped the arm around Cassi and patted her hair. "It's okay Cassi." She repeated softly.  
  
In a burst of anger, Max grabbed Lydecker's head and jerked it in their direction so he could see the sisters. Her voice was low through clenched teeth, "She learned to hate because of you. I hope you are proud of yourself." Lydecker just stared at the duo, still trying to digest what he had seen. Max was tempted to just snap his neck and be rid of him. No one deserved it more. She glanced up and saw Miranda looking at her. Miranda shook her head slowly and Max heard the soft voice speaking to her, "It's not worth it. He's not worth it."  
  
Max knew that she was right. Killing him would only give her something else to carry around. Plus, she didn't want to give Cassi one more bad memory to carry around. She already had enough. With her fist, she hit him at the base of the skull and he slumped unconscious back onto the floor. They needed time to get away.  
  
Jumping away from him, Max took the gun from Cassi's limp fingers and tossed it on the bed. After a quick check, she motioned Miranda and Cassi to move into the hall. The soldier was still out but Max knew he could "come to" at any time. Max dragged him into the cell, closed the door, and locked it. She looked at Miranda. "Are you okay to walk?"  
  
Miranda gave her a strong, firm nod. "I will run if necessary." She looked at the baby. "We will be fine. Take care of Cassi and we'll follow."  
  
Max scooped up Cassi who rolled up in a ball in her arms. The encounter had severely drained her and she was not longer able to stand which meant that there was no way she would be able to hold herself on Max's back. Rushing to the door, Max remembered the bullet that grazed her shoulder. She had blocked it out earlier but the weight of Cassi made the blood flow stronger and it began to throb. She wondered how long she would be able to hold her.  
  
  



	34. Seek and You Shall Find

  
Greg pulled over at the spot where he had let Max out of the Jeep. Shutting off the lights and engine, he got out and started searching the trees nearby. Fear coursed through his veins. He didn't know what to do. A college education did not prepare him for something like this. As quietly as possible, he walked from tree to tree looking for Cassi.  
  
Why had she come? Why had she left the Jeep? Greg leaned against a tree and closed his eyes in despair. There was no way for him to find her. Max was the only one with the abilities to find her in these conditions. That was, if he ever saw Max again...  
  
Suddenly, he felt a hand go over his mouth and his eyes snapped open. Max's voice was quick and quiet. "We are okay but I can't get everyone over the fence." Her arm was hanging limply at her side.  
  
"Cassi's somewhere..." Greg began.  
  
"She's with me." Max interrupted, ignoring Greg's wide eyes. "I'll explain later. Right now, we need to get out of here."  
  
Greg thought for a second. "Can you get everyone to the main gate?" Max nodded. "Good. Get them there and I will meet you in less than five minutes."  
  
"You sure about this?" Max asked.   
  
Greg just nodded and ran to the jeep. It was time to get his girls.  
  
*****************  
  
Max ran back to the fence. She hoped that Greg knew what he was doing. Trusting someone wasn't one of her strengths in life but she had no choice in this situation. She climbed the fence with one hand for the second time and jumped down to the other side. There was no way that she could get all three of them safely over the fence with the way her shoulder was feeling. She was beginning to wonder if the bullet had gone deeper than she thought.  
  
Looking around carefully, she made her way to where she had hid Miranda and the others behind a small shed. Miranda was squatting down with the baby in her arm and Cassi huddling close almost clinging to her. Max was worried about the girl.  
  
Miranda looked up as Max approached. "Everyone okay?"  
  
Miranda nodded but at the same time, cast a glance down at Cassi. She was worried too.  
  
"Let's get them out of here." Max said and scooped up Cassi. Under the weight, Max's arm jerked in a spasm and she shifted the girl's weight to the other arm.  
  
"Are you alright?" Miranda asked.  
  
"Fine." Max lied. All she wanted to do was get to that gate and get out of this place.  
  
Coming out from their hiding place, they began to creep along the fence. Fortunately, security was concentrated at the front of the building and the main gate. These people would never learn. Who snuck in that way?  
  
They moved to within a hundred feet of the gate. They were behind the side of the guard shack which had no windows. Max motioned Miranda to stop and held Cassi against her. She was edgy. They were pretty much out in the open here. They had two children, a confused recovering mother, and a wounded genetically engineered soldier. They only had one chance - Greg. And for him, they had to wait.  
  
*****************  
  
Greg started the engine back up and took a deep breath. "Please God, just let me get them out of there safe."  
  
He turned and went down the access road. Soon, the gate came into view. There were two guards out front, one with his hand up, motioning for Greg to stop. Wanting to close his eyes, Greg used all of strength to keep them open. He kept a picture of the girls in his mind, gunned the engine, and hit the accelerator. The guards shouts could be heard as the jeep approached them. Then the bullets started. One of them jumped out of the way and landed on the ground. The other stood in front of the gate, unmoving. Greg willed him to move but the man didn't budge. Not wanting to kill him, Greg swerved slightly but still kept on course. He couldn't let anything get in his way. Unconsciously, Greg flinched. In that second, he felt the thump of the jeep hitting the guard and his body bouncing off of the hood. Instantaneously, the jeep rammed the metal gates and in a crunching of metal, he was through. He veered to the right to position the jeep near the guard shed where he saw Max.  
  
Jumping out of the jeep, he ran to take the bundle from Max's arms that he recognized as Cass. Being relieved of the weight, Max followed Greg to the jeep. He put her carefully in the backseat and covered her with the blanket. He embraced Miranda quickly and guided her to follow Cassi. She shook here head. "Max needs it more than I do. I'll sit in the front." Greg looked around. "Where is Max?"  
  
Miranda followed his gaze and then they looked at each other. Greg knew that he couldn't leave without her. After all, it was only because of her that they had come this far. "Stay here, I'll be right back." He said to Miranda.  
  
"Wait," she said, grabbing his arm, "Take this."  
  
Removing her hand from the blanket around the baby, she handed him the gun she had taken off of the bed before they left the cell.  
  
Greg looked at her in shock, "Where did you..."  
  
"Let's just say I thought we might need it. Go find Max."  
  



	35. Finish What You Start

Max was about to get in the jeep when she heard the sound of someone approaching them. She focused. It was one of the guards from the gate. He was speaking into a radio.  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, Max was on him. Taking her elbow, she hit him in the chest. He groaned and then grabbed her arm and twisted. She almost yelped in pain as he wrenched it. It was the same shoulder that had been hurt earlier. With her good arm, she grabbed the radio and rammed it into the side of his head. He slumped to the ground and Max heard the click of a gun. She whipped around to swing a kick but caught it in mid-air as Greg jumped back. The motion of it made her stumble.  
  
"Greg..." She mumbled weakly.  
  
Catching her before she collapsed, Greg put her arm around his shoulders and made his way to the jeep. Settling Max in the back with Cassi, he jumped into the driver's seat. It was up to him now. "Let's go home."  
  



	36. Getting the Call

  
  
There was an audible collective in-take of breath when the guard's voice came over the military channel.  
  
"Base, we have..." Then the line was full of static. Something had stopped him but it would only be minutes before someone would go to investigate.  
  
The ringing of the phone made them jump. Bling got to it first.  
  
"Yeah...Good...Okay...We just heard something on the channel. You need to get out fast. Okay, I'll tell them."  
  
"They are on their way home." Bling said to the other two.  
  
"All of them?" Amaliya asked.  
  
"Yes," Bling replied. "All five of them."  
  
"Five?" Logan asked.  
  
"Yes. Greg, Max, Miranda, her baby, and Cassi."  
  
"Oh God." Amaliya said and collapsed into her chair. She put her head in her hands and let the mixture of emotion flow out of her body through her tears."  
  
Logan felt Bling's hand on his arm.  
  
"Logan, there's something else."  
  
Logan just looked at him.  
  
"Cassi is suffering from some kind of fatigue and..."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Max is hurt, maybe not bad...but she passed out."  
  
"What can we do?" Logan asked.  
  
"I'll set up the beds and the couch. It sounds like we will have our hands full when they arrive."  
  
  



	37. Broken Wings

  
Max felt the touch of a hand on her forehead and opened her eyes. It was Logan.  
  
"Where..."  
  
"You're in my room. Miranda is in the guest room resting and talking to her mother. You did it."  
  
"Yes, but Cassi...where's Cassi?"  
  
Logan reached across Max and moved the blanket. There she was, curled up in a ball, sound asleep.  
  
"How has she been?"  
  
"When Greg first brought her in, she cried for almost half an hour in her mother's arms. Then, she asked for you. We brought her in and she's been asleep ever since."  
  
Max smiled at Logan. "She's meowing again. Just like old times."  
  
"Not this time."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"She said, Where's Max?"  
  
Max stared at him in disbelief. "She spoke, actually spoke?"  
  
Logan nodded. "It seems that she grew more quiet and strange after Miranda was gone. They thought it was just a progression of her genetic abilities. Turns out, a lot of it was her abilities reacting to the emotion and trauma of what she knew had happened. Her mind didn't know how to deal with it."  
  
"Poor thing." Max said, stroking her hair. "She's been through so much."  
  
"She's not the only one." Max felt his hand brush her hair out of her face. "You okay Max?"  
  
"My shoulder will be fine. I heal fast."  
  
"It's not just about your shoulder, Max. Miranda told us who was there."  
  
Max tried to shrug then remembered her shoulder. "I'm okay. I just hate to see them do these things to more people. Miranda's baby..."  
  
"Will be fine." Logan said. "She has her family to love her and she has someone special who will be able to understand her." His eyes were on her face. "She'll be fine."  
  
"What if there are others?"  
  
"Then we will help them one at a time. For now, you need to let yourself rest."  
  
Max relaxed against the pillow but caught sight of something in Logan's hand. "What's that?"  
  
Logan looked down. "It's a song that Miranda wanted me to give you. Want to read it?"  
  
Max looked up at him. "Why don't you read it to me?"  
  
Logan looked at the song and blushed, "Are you sure?"  
  
She nodded, leaned back and closed her eyes.  
  
Logan took a breath and began as she sat, letting his voice wash over her.  
  
Baby, don't understand  
Why we can't just hold on to each other's hands  
This time might be the last I fear  
Unless I make it all too clear  
I need you so   
  
Take these Broken Wings  
And learn to fly again, learn to live so free  
When we hear the voices sing  
The book of love will open up and let us in  
Take these Broken Wings  
  
Baby, I think tonight  
We can take what was wrong and make it right   
Baby, it's all I know  
That you're half of the flesh and blood makes me whole  
I need you so  
  
So take these Broken Wings  
And learn to fly again  
Learn to live so free  
When we hear the voices sing  
The book of love will open up and let us in  
  
Baby, that's all I know  
That's you're half of the flesh and blood makes me whole   
  
So take these Broken Wings  
And learn to fly again, learn to live so free  
When we hear the voices sing  
The book of love will open up and let us in  
  
Take these Broken Wings  
You got to learn to fly  
Learn to live love so free  
When we hear the voices sing  
The book of love will open up for us and let us in  
  
Max looked at him. "Nice song."  
  
"Yeah, it is."  
  
"So, how do you learn to fly if you have a broken wing?"   
  
"You let it heal and you don't give up..." His eyes rested on her own. "and then we help others with broken wings."  
  
"We?"  
  
"Yes, we. You're not the only wounded one."  
  
"You? The great Eyes Only, Mr. Logan Cale?"  
  
"Yes, me..."   
  
"So, I'm going to help you?" She said softly.  
  
"And I will help you...if you'll let me."  
  
"I think I just might." She said. "I guess we broken wings should stick together."  
  
He extended his arm in invitation to her. "Yes, we should."  
  
After a second's hesitation, she moved over and leaned against him with her head on his chest. His arm came around and held her. She closed her eyes and stayed there...Logan on one side, Cassi on the other.   
  
Logan kissed her on the head. "Let's work on helping each other heal. Then we can go in search of the rest..."  
  
Max reached out an arm and returned his embrace. "Just you and me and some broken wings. Sounds like a dream to me."  



	38. Epilogue

  
She looked up from her desk as the door opened. "Have a seat, Deck. Nice to see you up and around."  
  
He wasn't fooled by her sweetness. Beneath the candy coated words was pure arsenic. She had her own agenda and Lydecker didn't like it. Sitting in the chair, he set the dark wood cane across his lap.  
  
"She did a good job on you Deck. Are you getting old on us?"  
  
"This soldier was highly trained for ops like this. If your security had been better, she would never have gotten that far."  
  
"You were there, Deck." The last words was spit out of her mouth in a slight of familiarity. "Not only did you let another X-5 slip through your hands, you lost our top breeder, a TX-1, and..." She flipped through a folder in front of her. "Another one who looks even more promising. What do you know about the sister?"  
  
"Just what's in the report. She has some remarkable abilities but we do not know where they originated. We are working on it now."  
  
"Do you think you're up to it?"  
  
Lydecker got up and headed to the door. "I know my mission."  
  
"Be sure you do." She replied. "This may be your last one."  
  
An evil grin appeared on her face as the door closed behind him. She pushed a button and a young Asian man came in. "Is everything ready?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You are sure he doesn't know?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
"Good." She said and bounced her fingertips against one another thoughtfully. "Let me know when the arrangements are all made and you are settled."  
  
The man nodded and left the way he came.  
  
Settling back in her chair, Renfro looked at the folders in front of her. Lydecker might be on his way out but the Project was just beginning.  
  
THE END...for now.  
  



End file.
